4
IntroductionWelcome to the Book of Exalted Deeds.
There is an obvious parallel between this book and its prede-
cessor, the Book of Vile Darkness. Both are named after minor
artifacts detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, artifacts that
define the sharp polarity between the most abhorrent pits of
evil and the highest peaks of righteousness. While the Book of
Vile Darkness concerns itself with all things evil, dealing with
the most reprehensible subjects ever covered in the DUNGEONS
& DRAGONS game, this book tackles the opposite subject. The
two books share a similar outline, and there are several other
parallels in content as well,
but their essential
function is quite
different. The
Book of Vile
Darkness gives
Dungeon Mas-
ters the tools
they need to
bring the villains
and monsters of
their campaigns to new
lows of depravity and evil.
Armed with the Book of Exalted
Deeds, players can now bring their
characters, the heroes of the cam-
paign, to great new heights of valor
and righteousness. In contrast to thor-
oughly vile villains, heroes are called
upon to perform truly exalted deeds.
The Book of Exalted Deeds is for players who
aren’t satisfied by slapping a good alignment
label on their character and then acting no
different from the neutral characters in the
party. This book is all about how to make a
good alignment mean something, and how
to live up to the ideals implied in that alignment.
This is not a book about what good characters
can’t do—it’s not a list of ways to avoid being evil.
Rather, it’s about what they can do, the power that
they gain as a direct result of adhering to a
higher standard of righteousness than most
of the world can hope to achieve. It’s about
being an agent of good, whether a character serves a good deity
or simply adheres to more abstract ideas of goodness. It’s about
following a higher call than the lure of gold and experience
points, wrestling with tougher choices than which monster to
kill first or what magic item to buy with newfound loot, and
doing the kinds of heroic deeds that make a difference in the
game world.
Like the Book of Vile Darkness, the Book of Exalted Deeds is
intended for mature players. That’s not because it’s filled with
lurid depictions of depravity and torture. The material isn’t
meant to shock or offend (though some topics may). Rather,
this book deals with tough questions of ethics and morality in
a serious manner. It’s intended to help players and Dungeon
Masters wrestle with hard in-game issues: Is it okay to slaugh-
ter every drow I see and sell their goods on the open market?
How do I wrest information from enemy prisoners without
compromising my alignment? Is there any hope for the orc
whelps in the stronghold, or should we slaughter them, too?
Many players would just as soon overlook these questions,
believing they detract from the fun of the game.There’s nothing
wrong with that. For groups that want to address these issues,
however, the Book of Exalted Deeds opens the way. At the same
time, it presents a whole host of new opportunities for player
characters of good alignment and righteous conviction: new
feats, spells, prestige classes, magic and mundane items, and
rulestohelpaddressthesituationstheyface.Thesegoodiesaren’t
just for the cleric and paladin, either—characters who some-
times are the sole voices of morality in an adventuring party.
While paladins and good clerics will certainly find much of
use, characters of all classes can benefit from the new mate-
rial in the Book of Exalted Deeds—if they are willing and able
to walk the straight and narrow path of the exalted.
There is one other reason this book is intended
for mature audiences: it deals with certain
aspects of real-world religion that might
make some people uncomfortable.
In the Book of Exalted Deeds,
you’ll find archons with
names drawn from
Jewish, Christian, and
Gnostic angelology,
paladins with stig-
mata, and monks
who have sworn
not to touch dead
flesh or drink alco-
hol. Among the holy
relics discussed here
are items of torture and
execution that were used upon saints and still
carry the touch of sanctified blood. To many
people, these things are hardly in the same cate-
gory as the appalling abominations found in the
Book of Vile Darkness. To many of us with deeply
held convictions about such matters, the
subject is touchy at best. This book
carries a warning because we’re
relying on you to deal with your
own reactions to this material in a mature manner: use what you
like, adapt what doesn’t fit, and simply ignore what you don’t
like. We’ve tried to present the material with sensitivity and
appropriate gravity, and we trust you to use it in the same way.
Author’s Note: I didn’t expect this book to require a dis-
claimer like the one Monte put in front of the Book of Vile Dark-
ness. I like to think I am a good person, and I strongly
encourage others to be good people as well. Nevertheless, I feel
the need to point out that this book attempts to define the
morality of goodness in the context of the D&D® world, not the
real world. While I’ve tried to explore some shades of gray in
this book, the D&D universe is still much more black-and-
white than the real world. I don’t advocate anyone killing some-
one they think is evil, to give just one example.
—James Wyatt
INTRODUCTION
Illus.byS.Belladin
An exalted
arcanist and his
celestial familiar
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hat is good?
Many characters are happy to rattle off long
lists of sins they haven’t committed as evidence
that they are good. The utter avoidance of evil,
however, doesn’t make a character good—solidly neutral, per-
haps, but not good.
Being good requires a certain quality of temperament, the
presence of virtues that spur a character, not just to avoid evil
or its appearance, but to actively promote good. As expressed
in the Player’s Handbook, “‘Good’ implies altruism, respect for
life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good
characters make personal sacrifices to help others.”
Good is not nice, polite, well mannered, prudish, self-right-
eous, or naïve, though good-aligned characters might be some
of those things. Good is the awesome holy energy that radiates
from the celestial planes and crushes evil. Good is selfless, just,
hopeful, benevolent, and righteous.
EXALTED DEEDS
These acts of goodness are concrete, positive means by which
the heroes of the world fight against the darkness of evil.They
are the meat and drink of the exalted hero, and should serve as
an inspiration for how to play a character of good alignment,
suggesting not only common actions but also motivations and
personality traits.
HELPING OTHERS
When a village elder comes to a good character and says,
“Please help us, a dragon is threatening our village,” the
good character’s response is not, “What can you pay?”
Neutral characters might be that mercenary, and evil
characters would certainly consider how to collect the
most benefit from the situation. For a good character,
however, helping others is a higher priority than per-
sonal gain.
A good character might ask a number of other ques-
tions before leaping up from her seat and charging to
the village’s aid: good characters aren’t necessarily
stupid. A good character can be cautious, determin-
ing how powerful the dragon is and whether addi-
tional reinforcements are required, but she should
never say, “Sorry, I’m out of my league. Go find
another hero.” It’s just good sense to learn as much
as possible about a foe before plunging into battle.
Even more, a good character need not be naïvely
trusting. Some might go to great lengths to verify
that the elder’s story is true and not some villain’s
attempt to lure them into a trap.
All her caution or suspicion still doesn’t under-
mine a good character’s responsibility to offer help to
those in need. Altruism is the first word in the
Player’s Handbook’s definition of good, and helping
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6
others without reward or even thanks is part of a good charac-
ter’s daily work.
So who are these “others” a good character is supposed to
help? Again, the “good is not necessarily stupid” rule comes into
play. Obviously, a good character is not required by her align-
ment to help evil characters or those who are working at cross-
purposes to a good character’s own goals. However, altruism
often blends into mercy in situations where a villain asks for
quarter and aid (see Mercy below). In any case, altruism is tem-
pered by respect for life and concern for the dignity of sentient
beings, and good characters balance their desire to help others
with their desire to promote goodness and life.
CHARITY
Onespecificaspectofhelpingothersischarity:providingmaterial
assistance to those in need, particularly those whose situation in
life robs them of pride and respect. Offering food to the hungry,
clothes to the naked, lodging to the homeless, care for orphans
andwidows,andhopetothehopelessareamongthesimplestand
yetmostprofoundofgooddeeds.Goodcharactersofferthissortof
assistance to needy people without regard for their moral charac-
ter and with the utmost concern for their dignity.
The idea that creatures too weak to better themselves deserve
their low position is a hallmark of evil dogma. Good characters
reject this notion completely, recognizing that most poor and
needy people are the victims of circumstance, not of their own
weakness or failings.
HEALING
Healing wounds, removing disease, and neutralizing poison are
a concrete embodiment of a good character’s respect for life.
These deeds are not inherently good, since they can be per-
formed selfishly or in the interests of evil. Even so, healing magic
involves positive energy, which is closely linked to holy power.
Many good characters devote their lives to healing as an
expression of their morality. Pelor is a god of healing, and his
clerics with the Healing domain make it their mission to share
Pelor’s beneficence with others through healing. Even paladins,
whose mission is primarily to smite evildoers, have the innate
ability to heal wounds and remove disease as a reflection of their
pure goodness. A character devoted to healing views the power
to heal as a gift of celestial powers and is generally careful never
to use that gift in a way that would cheapen or taint it—by heal-
ing evil characters, for example. On the other hand, some view
healing as a means of grace, believing that every cure light
wounds cast on a blackguard cannot help but lead the villain
closer to repentance and redemption.
PERSONAL SACRIFICE
A good character doesn’t just help others or fight evil when it’s
convenient for him to do so. Even the most generous altruism,
when it comes without sacrifice or even serves one’s own self-
interest, is neutral at best. A character committed to the cause of
good champions that cause in any circumstance, often at great
personal risk or cost.
Forfeiting any claim on a reward for one’s deeds is a simple
form of sacrifice touched upon in the previous section. Volun-
tarily donating money, goods, or even magic items to a temple,
charitable institution (an orphanage or aid society), or other
organization is another financial sacrifice often practiced by
good characters. Exceptionally virtuous characters might swear
sacred vows, forever sacrificing the enjoyment of some worldly
pleasure—alcohol or stimulants, sex, or material possessions—
or course of action, including violence. True heroes of right-
eousness, all too often, sacrifice their own lives to save the lives
of others.
WORSHIPING GOOD DEITIES
The deities of good are the highest exemplars of the principles
of virtue, righteousness, and purity. By offering them worship,
sacrifice, and service, good characters cultivate their own per-
sonal virtue, assist the cause of good in concrete ways (support-
ing the charitable work of the church and strengthening the
clerics and paladins who serve as the deity’s agents), and extend
the deity’s reach in the world.
Not all good characters worship good deities. Some serve
neutral deities like St. Cuthbert, Obad-Hai, or Olidammara,
while others put the claims of good above the dogma of any
deity. Nevertheless, virtually all good characters are willing to
cooperate with the churches of good deities, recognizing them
as allies with a common cause.
Unlike evil deities, good deities usually have temples and
shrines in open, public places—often at or near the center of
bustling cities. In fact, the worship of good deities is one of the
forces that often helps to cement humanoid communities
together, serving to unite the populace in a common activity
and a common set of ideals.This is particularly common among
nonhuman races of good alignment, including halflings,
CHAPTER1:
THENATURE
OFGOOD
EXALTED DEEDS AND VILE DARKNESS
Your gaming group will make the best use of this book if your
DM, at least, also has a copy of the Book of Vile Darkness.
Nothing in here requires you to have another book, but a party
of exalted player characters shines brightest when pitted
against truly vile villains. Some of the spells, feats, items, and
other offerings in this book are specifically designed to coun-
teract similar bits of vileness. The spell ease pain was written
specifically with angry ache in mind, for example. However, they
all have broad enough application that you can use them even
without another book (since, in the case of ease pain, a number
of other spells and effects create pain).
The Book of Vile Darkness includes an appendix concerning
evil player characters. If you are part of a campaign with evil
player characters (PCs), then the function of this book might
shift somewhat. In that case, the Book of Exalted Deeds
becomes a source of opponents and enemies—good creatures
to fight and good spells for those good nonplayer characters
(NPCs) to cast against your characters. That’s a perfectly fine
use of this book.
On the other hand, if all the new tricks—spells, feats,
prestige classes—in Book of Vile Darkness tempted you to
explore evil characters, then have a look at the material in
Book of Exalted Deeds. Maybe you’ll be inspired to return to the
side of good!
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dwarves, and elves, where good alignment is the norm and a
single deity often claims the allegiance of an entire community.
However, it is common for even human cities to be drawn
together in the worship of Pelor, who commands at least the
respect of neutral citizens as well as good. Of course, in evil cul-
tures, the worship of good deities can be both a crime and an act
of rebellion.
CASTING GOOD SPELLS
Good spells alleviate suffering, inspire hope or joy, use the
caster’s energy or vitality to help or heal another, summon celes-
tials, or channel holy power. Particularly in the last instance,
good spells might be just as destructive—at least to evil crea-
tures—as a fireball. Not all good spells involve only sweetness
and light.
Good spells don’t have any redemptive influence on those
who cast them, for better or worse. An evil wizard who dabbles
in a few good spells, most likely to help him achieve selfish
ends, does not usually decide to abandon his evil ways because
he’s been purified by the touch of the holy. On the other hand,
there are certain spells whose sanctified nature demands a con-
crete, physical sacrifice from the caster (see Sanctified Magic
in Chapter 6). No character can draw upon such holy magic
without being changed for the better
as a result.
MERCY
For good characters who devote their lives to hunting and exter-
minating the forces of evil, evil’s most seductive lure may be the
abandonment of mercy. Mercy means giving quarter to enemies
who surrender and treating criminals and prisoners with com-
passion and even kindness. It is, in effect, the good doctrine of
respect for life taken to its logical extreme—respecting and
honoring even the life of one’s enemy. In a world full of enemies
who show no respect for life whatsoever, it can be extremely
tempting to treat foes as they have treated others, to exact
revenge for slain comrades and innocents, to offer no quarter
and become merciless.
A good character must not succumb to that trap. Good char-
acters must offer mercy and accept surrender no matter how
many times villains might betray that kindness or escape from
captivity to continue their evil deeds. If a foe surrenders, a good
character is bound to accept the surrender, bind the prisoner,
and treat him as kindly as possible. (See Mercy, Prisoners, and
Redemption in Chapter 2 for more about the proper treatment
of prisoners.)
In general, it’s a good idea for the DM to make sure that the
players aren’t punished unnecessarily for showing mercy to
opponents. If every prisoner schemes to betray the party and
later escapes from prison, the players quickly come to realize
that showing mercy simply isn’t worth it. It’s fine for these frus-
CHAPTER1:
THENATURE
OFGOOD
7
A paladin must choose between destroying evil and
honoring love.
Illus.byM.Cavotta
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trations to arise once in a while, but if they happen every time,
the players will rightly give up in frustration.
FORGIVENESS
Closely tied to mercy, forgiveness is still a separate act. Mercy
means respecting the life of an enemy, treating him like a being
worthy of kindness. Forgiveness is an act of faith, a willingness
to believe that even the vilest evildoer is capable of change.
Good characters are not enjoined to “forgive and forget” every
time someone harms them. At the simplest level, forgiveness
means abdicating one’s right to vengeance. On a deeper level, if
an evil character makes an effort to repent, turn away from evil,
and lead a better life, a good character is called upon to encour-
age the reformed villain, let the past be past, and not to hold the
character’s evil deeds against her.
Forgiveness is essential to redemption. If those she has
harmed refuse to forgive her, a character seeking to turn away
from evil faces nothing but hatred and resentment from those
who should be her new allies. Isolated from both her former
allies and her former enemies, she nurses resentment and
quickly slides back into her evil ways. By extending forgiveness
to those who ask it, good characters actively spread good, both
by encouraging those who are trying to turn away from evil and
by demonstrating to evildoers that the path of redemption is
possible.
BRINGING HOPE
If the most soullessly evil villains relish spreading despair and
devouring every last shred of hope, it naturally follows that the
cause of good involves rekindling hope in the face of despair.
This might be the most nebulous of all good deeds, hard to
define or measure, but it also might be the heart and essence of
good. All the other good deeds discussed in this section, in addi-
tion to their often concrete and physical benefits to people in
need, have the additional intangible benefit of increasing hope.
A man whose body is wasting away from disease actually has
two illnesses: the physical disease that consumes his flesh and
the despair that gnaws at his soul. Healing him not only heals
his body, it also restores his lost hope. A woman who throws
herself on a paladin’s mercy and turns from her evil ways strug-
gles along the difficult road to redemption. The paladin’s mercy
and forgiveness offer the most important assistance along that
road: hope, a vision of the reward that lies ahead.
Hope in its truest form is more than just a vague wish for
things to be better than they are; it is a taste of things as they
might be. When an exalted bard comes to a city that groans
under the oppressive rule of a pit fiend, he may inspire hope by
singing tales of liberation or by demonstrating force of arms
against the pit fiend’s diabolic minions. But the best hope avail-
able to the oppressed residents of the city is when the bard
simply shows them kindness, thereby reminding them of what
it was like to live under a more benign rule. He brings them
together in community, whereas the devils have been turning
them against each other, sowing distrust alongside despair. By
experiencing a taste of kindness and freedom, however small,
the citizens are inspired with hope. That hope empowers them
to resist the devils, with or without the bard’s force of arms.
REDEEMING EVIL
Perhaps the greatest act of good one could ever hope to accom-
plish is the redemption of an evil soul. Bringing an evil charac-
ter to see the error of her ways not only stops her from preying
on innocent victims, but helps her as well, winning her a place
in the blessed afterlife of the Upper Planes instead of an eternity
of torment and damnation in the Lower. While acts of charity
and healing might help a person’s body, redeeming an evil char-
acter helps her soul.
Holding a sword to a captured villain’s throat and shouting,
“Worship Heironeous or die!” is not a means of redemption.
Sword-point conversion might be a useful political tool, but it is
almost entirely without impact on the souls of the “converts.”
Worse, it stinks of evil, robbing the victim of the freedom to
choose and echoing the use of torture to extract the desired
behavior. True redemption is a much more difficult and
involved process, but truly virtuous characters consider the
reward worth the effort involved. The process of redemption is
described in Chapter 2: Variant Rules.
Of course, good characters recognize that some creatures are
utterly beyond redemption. Most creatures described in the
Monster Manual as “always evil” are either completely irre-
deemable or so intimately tied to evil that they are almost
entirely hopeless. Certainly demons and devils are best slain, or
at least banished, and only a naïve fool would try to convert
them. Evil dragons might not be entirely beyond salvation, but
there is truly only the barest glimmer of hope.
On the other hand, a good character approaches every
encounter with orcs, goblinoids, and even the thoroughly evil
drow with heart and mind open to the possibility, however
remote, that his opponents might some day be transformed into
allies. Creatures that are “usually evil” can be redeemed. This is
not to say that a good character’s first thought in an ambush
should be, “How can I redeem these poor orcs?” However, if the
ambushing orcs end up surrendering, there is ample opportu-
nity to seek their redemption.
CHAPTER1:
THENATURE
OFGOOD
EXALTED VERSUS EPIC
The words “epic” and “exalted” are similar in meaning as well
as reminiscent of each other in sound. In the context of the
D&D game, however, their meanings are completely unrelated
to each other. Epic characters are those who have exceeded
20th level, entering territory beyond that explored in the
Player’s Handbook. Exalted characters are simply those, of any
level, who are devoted to the highest ideals of good (whether
lawful, neutral, or chaotic in bent). Exalted characters may
become epic, like any other character. Exalted deeds may often
have an epic scope, without necessarily involving characters of
epic level. The terms are distinct, and it’s important to remem-
ber that the material in this book is applicable to characters of
any level and their adventures.
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THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
The choice to follow the path of exalted deeds means picking
one’s way among complicated moral issues and painful dilem-
mas. It means questioning some of the common assumptions
about what’s acceptable in the context of a D&D adventure.
While the previous section outlined positive actions good char-
acters can (and should) perform to improve the world and
better the lot of those in it, this section discusses some of the dif-
ficult choices and decisions that characters trying to live up to
high ideals are likely to face when those ideals make contact
with reality.
ENDS AND MEANS
When do good ends justify evil means to achieve them? Is it
morally acceptable, for example, to torture an evil captive in
order to extract vital information that can prevent the deaths of
thousands of innocents? Any good character shudders at the
thought of committing torture, but the goal of preventing thou-
sands of deaths is undeniably a virtuous one, and a neutral char-
acter might easily consider the use of torture in such a
circumstance. With evil acts on a smaller
scale, even the most virtuous characters
can find themselves tempted to agree
that a very good end justifies a
mildly evil means. Is it acceptable to
tell a small lie in order to prevent a
minor catastrophe? A large catastro-
phe? A world-shattering catastrophe?
In the D&D universe, the fundamen-
tal answer is no, an evil act is an evil act
no matter what good result it may
achieve. A paladin who knowingly
commits an evil act in pursuit of any
end no matter how good still jeopard-
izes her paladinhood. Any exalted
character risks losing exalted feats or
other benefits of celestial favor if he com-
mits any act of evil for any reason. Whether
or not good ends can justify evil means, they certainly
cannot make evil means any less evil.
Some good characters might view a situation where an evil
act is required to avert a catastrophic evil as a form of martyr-
dom: “I can save a thousand innocent lives by sacrificing my
purity.” For some, that is a sacrifice worth making, just as they
would not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the same cause.
After all, it would simply be selfish to let innocents die so a char-
acter can hang on to her exalted feats.
Unfortunately, this view is ultimately misguided.This line of
thinking treats the purity of the good character’s soul as a com-
modity (like her exalted feats) that she can just give up or sacri-
fice like any other possession. In fact, when an otherwise good
character decides to commit an evil act, the effects are larger
than the individual character. What the character sees as a per-
sonal sacrifice is actually a shift in the universal balance of
power between good and evil, in evil’s favor. The consequences
of that single evil act, no matter how small, extend far beyond
the single act and involve a loss to more than just the character
doing the deed. Thus, it is not a personal sacrifice, but a conces-
sion to evil, and thus unconscionable.
Good ends might sometimes demand evil means.The means
remain evil, however, and so characters who are serious about
their good alignment and exalted status cannot resort to them,
no matter how great the need.
Sometimes a situation might demand that a good character
cooperate with an evil one in order to accomplish a worthy and
righteous goal. The evil character might not even be pursuing
the same goal. For example, a brief civil war has put a new ruling
house in power in a drow city, and the new rulers start actively
raiding the surface world. A party of good adventurers travels
into the depths of the earth to stop the drow raids. At the same
time, a party of evil drow loyal to the deposed house seeks to
overthrow the new rulers and restore their house to its position
of power. The two groups have different but mutually compati-
ble goals, and it is possible—within certain limits—for them to
cooperate with each other. However, the good characters must
not tolerate any evil acts committed by an evil ally during the
time of their alliance, and can’t simply turn a blind eye to such
acts. They must ensure that helping the drow will put a stop to
the surface raids, which might entail a level of trust the drow
simply do not deserve. And of course they must not
turn on their erstwhile allies when victory is in
sight, betraying the trust the drow placed
in them. Such a situation is dangerous
both physically and morally, but
cooperating with evil creatures is
not necessarily evil in itself.
VIOLENCE
Violence is a part of the D&D
world, and not inherently evil in the
context of that world.The deities of
good equip their heroes not just to be
meek and humble servants, but to be
their fists and swords, their champi-
ons in a brutal war against the forces of
evil. A paladin smiting a blackguard or a
blue dragon is not committing an evil act:
the cause of good expects and often demands that violence
be brought to bear against its enemies.
That said, there are certain limits upon the use of violence
that good characters must observe. First, violence in the name
of good must have just cause, which in the D&D world means
primarily that it must be directed against evil. It is certainly pos-
sible for a good nation to declare war upon another good nation,
but fighting in such a conflict is not a good act. In fact, even
launching a war upon a nearby tribe of evil orcs is not necessar-
ily good if the attack comes without provocation—the mere
existence of evil orcs is not a just cause for war against them, if
the orcs have been causing no harm. A full-scale war would pro-
voke the orcs to evil deeds and bring unnecessary suffering to
both sides of the conflict. Similarly, revenge is not an acceptable
cause for violence, although violence is an appropriate means of
stopping further acts of evil (as opposed to paying back evil
already committed).
The second consideration is that violence should have good
intentions. Launching an incursion into orc territory is not a
good act if the primary motivation is profit, whether that means
clearing the treasure out of the ruins the orcs inhabit or claim-
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ing their land for its natural resources. Violence against evil is
acceptable when it is directed at stopping or preventing evil acts
from being done.
The third consideration is one of discrimination. Violence
cannot be considered good when it is directed against noncom-
batants (including children and the females of at least some
races and cultures). Placing a fireball so that its area includes orc
women and children as well as warriors and barbarians is evil,
since the noncombatant orcs are not a threat and are compara-
tively defenseless.
Finally, the means of violence must be as good as the inten-
tions behind it.The use of evil spells, obviously, is not good even
when the target is evil. Likewise, the use of torture or other
practices that inflict undue suffering upon the victims goes
beyond the pale of what can be considered good.
Within these limits, violence in the name of good is an
acceptable practice in the D&D universe.
RELATIONSHIPS
Implicit in D&D’s definition of good—altruism, respect for life,
and making sacrifices for the sake of others—is a sense that
good is about maintaining a certain quality of relationship with
others. A good character’s relationships with other characters
should be built on a mutual respect for one another, whether
that relationship involves the companionship of an adventuring
party or the intimacy of a marriage.
There is nothing inherently evil about human (or humanoid)
sexuality, and being a good character doesn’t necessarily mean
remaining a virgin. Certain religions and cultures in the D&D
universe encourage or at least condone some people taking
vows of chastity, but these are similar to vows of poverty or absti-
nence—rooted in the belief that giving up the enjoyment of a
good and natural thing can have positive spiritual benefits, not
derived from an attitude that sex is evil. However, a good char-
acter is bound to realize that sexuality is laden with traditions of
exploitation and abuse, an area of interpersonal relationships
where power dynamics are often manifested in unfortunate—
really, evil—ways. A good character is not opposed to sex in
principle, but will not condone exploitative or coercive rela-
tionships such as prostitution, the use of slaves for sex, or sexual
contact with children or others without the power to enter
freely and willingly into a relationship of mutual respect.
Also within the context of respectful relationships, good
characters exercise caution in the use of compulsion magic to
force others’ behavior. Spells such as dominate person, geas, and
suggestion allow a caster to control another person, robbing that
person of free will.This may not be an inherently evil act, but it
certainly carries a tremendous ethical responsibility. Forcing
anyone to commit an evil act, of course, is evil. Furthermore, a
creature under compulsion should be treated the same as a help-
less prisoner, since that creature no longer poses a threat, at least
for the duration of the spell. Once an enemy is dominated, for
example, he should not be killed, but shown mercy and treated
the same as a prisoner who had willingly surrendered. (The
same holds true for charmed and compelled creatures.)
Perhaps the most important area of relationships for player
characters involves a character’s interactions with the other
members of the party. A good character respects the other
characters, treats them fairly, and values their lives as highly as
his own. That said, he is within his rights to expect the same
treatment from them. Neutral characters are often joined to
adventuring parties through bonds of friendship and loyalty
to the other characters, and a good character respects those
bonds and can trust a friend, even one who is not also good.
Evil characters, however, typically join adventuring parties for
purely selfish reasons. Paladins, of course, are prohibited from
associating with evil characters, but other exalted PCs should
also steer clear of evil companions, unless the evil character
is attempting to reform herself and making progress toward
neutrality at least.
Good characters in parties that also include neutral charac-
ters carry a weighty burden of responsibility.They should serve
as examples of the good life, demonstrating the virtue and the
rewards of following the righteous path. They must steer their
neutral companions away from evil deeds, and ought to encour-
age them toward goodness, as gently or as bluntly as the indi-
vidual case requires. Good characters can be guilty by
association with neutral characters who commit evil deeds, and
simply turning a blind eye to the questionable acts of their com-
panions is not an acceptable option.
This important prohibition can cause a great deal of friction
within an adventuring party. Some players build their charac-
ters on the idea of being roguish, unsavory, perhaps a little
brutal. If the paladin in the party is constantly getting in the way
of that character’s approach to things, everyone’s enjoyment of
the game is at risk. Many of these problems can be eliminated at
the outset by working to achieve a consensus among the players
regarding what kind of game you are going to play. That doesn’t
mean that everyone needs to agree to play good characters and
stick to the straight and narrow, but players who want to play
neutral characters need to know up front what they’re getting
into, and the whole group needs to decide to what extent ethical
debate is going to be a part of every game session. If everyone’s
happy with the paladin and the rogue constantly being at cross-
purposes, and the group decides to make that a central part of
the roleplaying experience, that’s fine—as long as the players
treat each other with respect and the characters don’t split the
party into two warring factions.
DIVIDED LOYALTIES
For better or for worse, a paladin is not just good: she is lawful
good, sworn not just to uphold the principles of good but also
bound by a code of conduct, and subject to local law as well.
Many paladins are also members of a specific deity’s church, a
knightly order of some sort, or both. At the best of times, these
various loyalties—her code of conduct, her church’s laws, her
order’s demands, the laws of her nation, and the abstraction of
her alignment—are all in harmony, and her path is clear before
her. When circumstances are not so ideal, she finds herself torn
between conflicting demands: her superior in her knightly
order commands her to kill a brutal murderer who has escaped
punishment in court on a legal technicality, for example. Her
personal code requires that she punish those that harm inno-
cents, and this killer certainly falls in that category. However,
her personal code also instructs her to respect legitimate author-
ity, which includes both her knightly superior and the local law
that has let the killer go free. The demands of her good align-
ment suggest she should punish the wrongdoer, but the
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demands of her lawful alignment insist that she obey the judg-
ment of the court. It is entirely possible that either her superior
or the magistrate in the case is corrupt or even possessed.
Whom does she obey? How does she sort out the conflicting
demands of her loyalties?
Paladins are by no means alone in this situation. Any charac-
ter who tries consistently to do good eventually finds himself
in a situation where different loyalties are in conflict. Chaotic
good characters might care far less about a potentially corrupt
or at least ineffectual court system, but they might have other
personal standards or obligations that cause conflict in similar
or different situations. In the end, however, many such con-
flicts boil down to a question of priorities, and for a character
who aspires to exalted deeds, good is the highest priority. In the
example above, the murderer must at least be captured, if not
killed, before he can kill again. If she has reason to suspect cor-
ruption, either in the court or in her own order, the paladin
must attempt to uncover it, though it might mean being cast
out of her order, punished under local law, or both. Her palad-
inhood and her exalted status remain intact, since she acted in
the cause of good even when that required questioning the
legitimacy of authority. Magistrates or knightly superiors who
serve the cause of evil while posing as agents of good are not
legitimate authority, and the paladin is right for exposing their
corruption.
What does a good character do when he is opposed by good?
Two good nations might go to war, two good adventuring par-
ties might be working toward opposite goals, or two good char-
acters might become bitter enemies. As discussed under
Violence, above, violence against good creatures is not good.
When conflict arises, as it certainly will at times, good charac-
ters must use every diplomatic means available to avoid the out-
break of violence, whether between nations, smaller groups, or
individuals. In the D&D universe, if one side’s goals are actually
evil, a relatively simple commune spell can make that abundantly
clear. Diplomacy might not always work, but the outbreak of
violence is not just a failure of diplomacy, it is a failure of good
and a victory for evil.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
When dealing with evildoers who are citizens of the realm
specifically, or members of the civilized humanoid races (dwarf,
elf, gnome, half-elf, half-orc, halfling, human) in general, it is
often preferable to bring evildoers to justice in the form of legit-
imate legal authority rather than meting out that justice oneself.
When fighting through a dungeon, characters needn’t switch to
subdual tactics when they suddenly encounter evil dwarf min-
ions. But if those minions surrender, it is best to take the pris-
oners back to town to stand trial for their crimes. When the
adventure takes place in a city and the opponents are citizens of
the city (rather than evil monsters from the sewers or deeper
underground), subduing opponents and turning them over to
the city watch is preferable to killing them and possibly being
forced to stand trial for murder.
The principles of good make certain demands about how
criminals are treated. The death penalty for serious crimes is
commonly practiced and widely accepted and does not qualify
as evil, even if many good characters, firm in their belief that
redemption is always possible, would rather see even the vilest
criminals offered the opportunity to find their way to right-
eousness during their imprisonment. Torturing prisoners,
either to extract information or simply as a means of punish-
ment, is unequivocally evil, however.
This leads good characters (especially lawful good characters)
into a dilemma: Is it wrong to turn a prisoner over to legitimate
authorities knowing that the prisoner will be tortured and
abused in captivity? Fortunately, the answer is straightforward,
if sometimes difficult to implement. Yes, delivering a person
over to be tortured, even if the person is thoroughly evil and the
torturers are a legitimate authority, is evil. How to avoid being
put in that position is a more difficult question, and one that
depends greatly on the circumstances.
BEING AHEAD OF YOUR TIME
Heroic characters often end up at odds with their culture and
society. The standards expected of good characters in D&D,
especially those who lay claim to exalted status, bear much more
similarity to modern sensibilities about justice, equality, and
respect for life than to the actual medieval world that D&D is
loosely based on, and that is quite intentional. It is certainly pos-
sible that your campaign world might be a more enlightened
place than medieval Europe—a place where men and women
are considered equal, slavery is not practiced in any form, tor-
ture and capital punishment are shunned, and the various
human and humanoid races live together in harmony. In such a
case, an exalted character can live in relative peace with her cul-
ture, and focus her attention on slaying evil creatures in ruins
and dungeons or rival, evil nations.
On the other hand, your campaign world might more closely
reflect the realities of life in Earth’s Dark or Middle Ages. Per-
haps women are not viewed as men’s equals or even sentient
beings in their own right, slavery is widespread, testimony from
serfs is only acceptable if extracted through torture, and
humans of a certain skin tone (let alone nonhumans) are
viewed as demonic creatures. It is vitally important to remem-
ber one thing: these factors don’t change anything else said in
this chapter (or in the Book of Vile Darkness) about what consti-
tutes a good or evil deed. Even if slavery, torture, or discrimina-
tion are condoned by society, they remain evil. That simply
means that an exalted character has an even harder road to
follow. Not only must she worry about external evils like con-
jured demons and rampaging orc hordes, she must also contend
with the evil within her own society.
In all likelihood, most human (and halfling) societies fall
somewhere between the two extremes described above. In
game terms, humans tend to be neutral, neither good nor evil.
Human societies might tolerate a variety of evil practices, even
if some humans find them distasteful. In such a circumstance,
an exalted character is still at odds with the norms of her society
and may occasionally find herself in conflict with it, but she can
devote her time and attention to dealing with evil acts, either
inside or outside her society, rather than trying to reform an
entire nation or culture.
In situations where a society’s practices put good characters at
odds with it, a good character’s alignment is the strongest indi-
cator of how she will deal with that conflict.
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LAW, CHAOS, AND GOOD
Lawful good characters by no means have a monopoly on good-
ness.Though all paladins are lawful good, plenty of exalted char-
acters of all character classes are chaotic good or neutral good,
and they exemplify the ideals of good in the D&D universe no
less than the paladin. There are differences between the
goodness of a lawful good character and that of his
chaotic good counterpart, just as there are marked dif-
ferences between the archons and eladrins that
embody those alignments in the celestial realms.
Lawful Good characters possess a sense of disci-
pline, honor, and community that other good charac-
ters do not necessarily share. Lawful good characters
are members of monastic or knightly orders,
church hierarchies, or organizations devoted
to righteous causes. They believe that
morality can be legislated, and promote
the establishment of just societies whose
laws and customs inculcate good behav-
ior in their citizens. Lawful good adventur-
ers fight evil knowing that they have the
support of legal systems behind them: they
are bringing criminals to justice as well as
opposing evil.
In an evil culture or one that
tolerates evil, lawful good
characters are in a difficult
situation. On the one hand,
they abhor evil and cannot stand to
see it institutionalized. On the other
hand, they believe in legitimate author-
ity and will not overthrow a kingdom
because of evil practices within it. Lawful
good characters usually try to work to
change flawed social structures from
within, using whatever political
power is available to them rather
than toppling those structures
by force.
Chaotic Good char-
acters are strong-willed
individualists who tolerate
no oppression, even in the
name of the common good.
They usually work alone or
in loose bands, rather than as part of some organization or hier-
archy. They have no confidence in the ability of laws and social
mores to train people in good behavior. Indeed, they have seen
all too often how people hide behind rules and laws as an excuse
for evil or at least irresponsible acts. While promoting a legal
system that places few restrictions on individual freedom,
chaotic good individuals look to other forces—religion, philos-
ophy, or community, for example—to encourage good behavior
and punish evil. Chaotic good adventurers fight evil because it’s
evil, not because it’s illegal.
In societies where evil practices are tolerated, chaotic good
characters are the most likely rebels, and they have few hesita-
tions about overthrowing the existing order if it means elimi-
nating those evils.
Neutral Good characters occupy an indistinct middle
ground. They espouse the ideals of good and none other. As a
rule, they don’t care whether good is imposed through laws and
customs or encouraged by temples and philosophers; they
simply want goodness to flourish. Legislating morality some-
times works, and is good as far as it goes. When lawful
good societies begin legislating every detail of their citi-
zens’ lives, however, passing laws on subjects that have
no bearing on good and evil, the neutral good citizens
become impatient. They support law when it promotes
good, but not law for its own sake. Similarly, they like the idea of
personal freedom, but they’re not sure everyone should have it:
too much freedom gives evildoers too much room to prosper.
Like chaotic good adventurers, neutral good ones fight evil
because it’s evil, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the backing
of legal authority whenever possible.
Neutral good characters in societies that tolerate evil resist
evil to the extent they can, without actively working to over-
throw the government. They protest injustice, sometimes
engaging in civil disobedience since unjust laws are use-
less and not binding in their view.
PLAYING A HERO
The preceding discussions of good deeds
and careful balancing acts are most
useful when put into context
with the overall personality and
career of a hero. The following
examples detail an assortment of
heroic archetypes that exemplify vari-
ous aspects of virtue, morality, and good.
They can be used to provide ideas for
NPCs to serve as allies or companions of
the player characters, as plot hooks or
patrons, or as the focus of an adventure. In
addition, they can serve as inspiration for players to
use in shaping the background and personalities of
their own exalted characters. (However, players
should remember that these characters have
gear appropriate for their level assuming
that they are NPCs. Used as player characters,
they—with the exception of Veshann—should
have more gear.)
THE RIGHTEOUS CRUSADER
The righteous crusader is dedicated to fighting evil: slaying evil
monsters, rooting out corrupt officials, or changing deplorable
traditions and practices. He might be a paladin in plate armor
leading the charge on the fields of war, or an aristocrat draped
in finery speaking out against injustice in the halls of politics.
In any case, he is proud, confident (often bordering on arro-
gant), forceful, and pure.
As an adventurer, the righteous crusader is a quixotic
figure—a knight on a quest to rid the world of evil. He smites
evil monsters, deposes evil tyrants, banishes evil demons,
and hallows evil temples. He is a righter of wrongs, a cham-
pion of the downtrodden, and a heroic figure in every sense
of the word.
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Illus.byR.Spencer
The righteous crusader fights evil
and aids the oppressed.
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Sample Righteous Crusader
As a young man, Ulmo was caught picking the wrong pocket
and imprisoned “until such time as he makes peace with the
law.” After a jailhouse conversion to the faith of Heironeous,
he petitioned for release to take part in a crusade to reclaim a
holy land from evil forces. A friendly paladin agreed to watch
over Ulmo, instruct him in the faith, and keep him from stray-
ing too far, and together they joined a band of adventurers in
the crusade. Ulmo followed his god’s dictates but never felt the
same deep calling of his comrades until, in a moment of des-
peration, he tried to mimic the righteousness of a cleric in
order to cast raise dead from a scroll. As the holy power flowed
from Heironeous through him to raise his friend, he felt his
soul lifted up from its doubts and he immediately dedicated
his life to following his god’s will. Better suited to contempla-
tion than preaching, he abandoned his leather armor for a
monk’s robe. He now spends his time meditating and striking
down the enemies of Heironeous with precision, discipline,
and certainty.
Ulmo Lightbringer: Male halfling rogue 10/monk 5; CR 15;
Small humanoid; HD 10d6+10 plus 5d8+5; hp 72; Init +7; Spd
40 ft.; AC 24, touch 24, flat-footed 24; Base Atk +10; Grp +11; Atk
+19 melee (1d4+1, small +1 kama) or +19 ranged (1d4+1/×3,
small +1 shortbow); Full Atk +19/+14 melee (1d4+1, small +1
kama) or +18/+18/+13 melee (1d4+1, small +1 kama) or +19/+14
ranged (1d4+1/×3, small +1 shortbow); SA flurry of blows, ki
strike (magic), sneak attack +5d6; SQ evasion, fast movement,
halfling traits, improved uncanny dodge, opportunist, purity of
body, slow fall 20 ft., still mind, trapfinding, trap sense +3,
uncanny dodge; AL LG; SV Fort +11, Ref +21, Will +13; Str 10,
Dex 24, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Balance +14, Bluff +7, Climb +10, Decipher
Script +5, Disable Device +13, Escape Artist +17, Hide +11,
Jump +12, Knowledge (religion) +2, Listen +18, Move Silently
+12, Open Lock +12, Search +10, Sleight of Hand +13, Spot
+16, Tumble +14, Use Magic Device +12; Blind-Fight, Combat
Expertise, Deflect ArrowsB
, Dodge, Improved Feint,
Improved Unarmed StrikeB
, Mobility, Stunning FistB
,
Weapon Finesse.
Flurry of Blows (Ex): Ulmo may use a full attack action to
make one extra attack per round with an unarmed strike or a
special monk weapon at his highest base attack bonus, but this
attack and each other attack made in that round take a –1
penalty apiece. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it affects
attacks of opportunity Ulmo might make before his next
action. If armed with a kama, nunchaku, or siangham, Ulmo
can make the extra attack either with that weapon or unarmed.
If armed with two such weapons, he uses one for his regular
attack(s) and the other for the extra attack. In any case, his
damage bonus on the attack with his off hand is not reduced.
Ki Strike (Su): Ulmo’s unarmed strike can deal damage to a
creature with damage reduction as if the blow were made with
a magic weapon.
Sneak Attack (Ex): If Ulmo can catch an opponent when she
is unable to defend herself effectively from his attack, he can
strike a vital spot for an extra 5d6 points of damage. For com-
plete details on the sneak attack ability, see the description of
the slayer of Domiel in Chapter 5: Prestige Classes.
Evasion (Ex): If Ulmo is exposed to any effect that normally
allows him to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, he
takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Halfling Traits (Ex): +2 morale bonus on saves against fear;
+1 bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ulmo cannot be flanked
except by a rogue of at least 14th level.
Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, Ulmo can make an
attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been
struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack
counts as his attack of opportunity for that round.
Purity of Body (Ex): Ulmo has immunity to all diseases
except for magical diseases such as mummy rot and lycan-
thropy.
Slow Fall (Ex): When within arm’s reach of a wall, Ulmo can
use it to slow his descent while falling. He takes damage as if the
fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is.
Still Mind (Ex): +2 bonus on saving throws against spells
and effects from the enchantment school.
Trapfinding (Ex): Ulmo can use a Search check to locate a
trap when the task has a DC higher than 20.
Trap Sense (Ex): Against attacks by traps, Ulmo gets a +3
bonus on Reflex saves and a +3 dodge bonus to Armor Class.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ulmo can react to danger before his
senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dex-
terity bonus to Armor Class even when caught flat-footed.
Possessions: Small +1 kama, Small +1 shortbow, 50 masterwork
arrows, ring of protection +2, wand of greater invisibility (24 charges),
wand of mage armor (46 charges), boots of striding and springing,
cloak of resistance +2, gloves of dexterity +4, periapt of wisdom +2.
THE FATED CHAMPION
Martyrdom is the inevitable doom of the fated champion. She
knows that her passion for righteous deeds will lead to her
death, and so all that she does is tinged with a melancholy fatal-
ism. At times, she might speak glowingly about the great reward
that certainly awaits her and her companions in the celestial
realms, but at other times she focuses on the inevitability of her
doom. Her heroism is undiminished by her certainty that it will
cause her death, however, and she is capable of truly astonishing
acts of valor performed with no regard for her own safety.
The fated champion takes on only the most dangerous quests.
If a holy artifact or relic needs to be recovered from the prison
plane of Carceri, the fated champion attempts it. If need be, she
stays behind while her friends carry the relic through a gate
leading home, making sure they are not followed before the gate
closes even though it means she is trapped there forever.
Sample Fated Champion
The youngest child of a noble family, Regina was raised in a
peaceful abbey dedicated to Pelor, but early in her life she
demonstrated far more interest in the martial path. The gentle
scholars of the abbey tried at first to restrain her violent ten-
dencies, then sent her to live with an order of warriors devoted
to Raziel. There she found her true calling as a soldier in a holy
war against a demonic cult. While she derives great satisfaction
from the good works she performs, she has lost too many allies
and friends to believe that any other fate awaits her than death.
Her ultimate goal is to die a good death—not gurgling on the
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end of a demonic blade while her companions fall all around
her, but heroically, righteously, honorably. If she is to die, and
she knows she must, she wants her death to bring salvation to
others.
Regina: Female human fighter 10/sword of righteousness* 3;
CR 13; Medium humanoid; HD 10d10+20 plus 3d8+6; hp 99;
Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 24; Base Atk +13;
Grp +18; Atk +20 melee (1d10+8/17–20, +1 holy bastard sword) or
+15 ranged (1d8+5, masterwork composite longbow [+5 Str
bonus]); Full Atk +20/+15/+10 melee (1d10+8/17–20, +1 holy
bastard sword) or +15/+10/+5 ranged (1d8+5,
masterwork composite longbow [+5 Str
bonus]); SA —; SQ —; AL LG; SV Fort +13,
Ref +6, Will +7; Str 20, Dex 13, Con 14, Int
12, Wis 10, Cha 8.
*New prestige class described in Chap-
ter 5 of this book.
Skills and Feats: Climb +13, Intimidate
+15, Jump +13, Sense Motive +6, Swim +5;
Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bas-
tard sword), Holy Subdual*, Improved
Critical (bastard sword), Point Blank
Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot,
Quick Draw, Sacred Vow*, Servant of
the Heavens*, Subduing Strike*, Vow of
Abstinence*, Vow of Purity*, Weapon
Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Specializa-
tion (bastard sword).
*New feat described in Chapter 4 of
this book.
Possessions: Belt of giant
strength +2, +1 holy
bastard sword, +2
full plate, +2 large
heavy steel shield,
masterwork composite longbow
(+5 Str bonus), 50 normal arrows,
10 silvered arrows, 10 cold iron
arrows, 10 adamantine arrows, cloak
of resistance +1.
THE BENEVOLENT
HEALER
The benevolent healer is a kindly soul
devoted to helping others—often a
healer in the literal sense, a cleric
boasting a full complement of healing spells. Alternatively, she
might be a bard who uses her music to inspire and uplift, a druid
who tends the plants and animals in a peaceful grove, or an
adventuring sorcerer who concentrates on protective spells to
enhance her companions’ abilities. She is generally not a front-
line fighter, and often refuses to participate in combat at all,
unless it is to heal wounded comrades so they can rejoin the
fray. She has a humble attitude and a gentle demeanor.
The benevolent healer goes on adventures not to earn glory
or amass treasure, though money has great power to help and
heal. Rather, she is led to adventure out of her sense of concern
for others—often her adventuring companions, who are the
primary recipients of her healing talents. She might also take up
a quest to find a magical cure for a supernatural disease afflicting
a town, help to hunt down a lycanthrope that has been terroriz-
ing a village (seeking his cure, not his death), or join a quest to
find a relic to revitalize a blighted land.
Sample Benevolent Healer
As a young girl, Tasthania Silvershade lost her family—indeed,
her whole village—to a band of marauding orcs. She was play-
ing alone in the nearby woods when the orcs descended on the
village and obliterated it. When she returned to the village, she
discovered a unicorn moving slowly among the smol-
dering ruins, looking for any survivors it might
be able to heal. The only survivor Tasthania
and the unicorn found, however, was a
young orc warrior. Tasthania wanted to kill
him, but the unicorn stayed her hand and
healed the orc’s wounds. Tasthania fumed
while the orc fled. Years later, as Tasthania
reached adulthood and began her walk
on the druid’s path, she was ambushed in
the woods by another orc band. The
leader of that band, however, recog-
nized her and called off the attack,
for he was the same warrior that
she and the unicorn had healed
and freed. Sworn now to the
ways of peace, Tasthania
counts a number of
orcs among her
friends, and she
views the redemption
of orcs as her particular
mission of healing in
the world. She also
continues to work
side by side with
the unicorn to heal
the creatures that dwell in
the wood.
Tasthania Silvershade:
Female elf druid 7; CR 7;
Medium humanoid; HD 7d8+7; hp 38;
Init +2; Spd 30; AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 18;
Base Atk +5; Grp +4; Atk +4 melee touch
(spell) or +6 ranged touch (spell); SA —; SQ
animal companion, calming aura, elf traits,
link with companion, nature sense, resist nature’s
lure, share spells, shatter weapons, trackless step, wild empathy,
wild shape (Small or Medium animal 3/day), woodland stride;
AL NG; SV Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +10; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int
10, Wis 18, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Diplomacy +15, Heal +14,
Knowledge (nature) +12, Listen +6, Search +2, Spot +6, Survival
+6; Sacred Vow*, Vow of Nonviolence*, Vow of Peace*.
*New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book.
Calming Aura (Su): Tasthania is constantly surrounded by a
calming aura to a radius of 20 feet. Creatures within the aura
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Illus.byG.Kubic
A benevolent healer
need not be a cleric.
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must make a DC 14 Will save or be affected as by the calm emo-
tions spell. Creatures who leave the aura and reenter it make new
saving throws. A creature that makes a successful saving throw
and remains in the aura is unaffected until it leaves the aura and
reenters.
Elf Traits (Ex): Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects;
+2 bonus on saves against enchantments; entitled to a Search
check when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door.
Link with Companion (Ex): Tasthania can handle her
animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action,
with a +4 bonus on wild empathy and Handle Animal checks
made while dealing with that animal.
Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): Tasthania gains a +4 bonus on
saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.
Share Spells (Ex): Tasthania may have any spell she casts on
herself also affect her animal companion if the latter is within 5
feet at the time. She may also cast a spell with a target of “You” on
her animal companion.
Shatter Weapons (Su): If a creature strikes Tasthania with a
manufactured weapon, the weapon must immediately make a
DC 14 Fortitude save or shatter against her skin, leaving her
unharmed.
Trackless Step (Ex): Tasthania leaves no trail in natural sur-
roundings and cannot be tracked.
Wild Empathy (Ex): Tasthania can improve the attitude of
an animal in the same way a Diplomacy check can improve the
attitude of a sentient being. She rolls 1d20+8, or 1d20+4 if
attempting to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence
score of 1 or 2.
Wild Shape (Su): Tasthania can change into a Small or
Medium animal and back again three times per day, as per the
polymorph spell.
Woodland Stride (Ex):Tasthania may move through natural
undergrowth at normal speed and without taking damage or
suffering any other impairment.
Druid Spells Prepared (6/5/4/3/2; save DC 14 + spell level or DC
18 + spell level for nondamaging spells): 0—create water, cure
minor wounds, detect poison, guidance, resistance, virtue; 1st—calm
animals, cure light wounds, entangle, eyes of the avoral*, obscuring
mist; 2nd—charm person or animal, delay poison, lesser restoration,
warp wood; 3rd—cure moderate wounds, neutralize poison, remove
disease; 4th—blinding beauty*, cure serious wounds.
*New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book.
Possessions: Cloak of resistance +1, +1 hide armor, periapt of
Wisdom +2.
Thuk, Tasthania’s Animal Companion: Male boar; CR —;
Medium animal; HD 5d8+18; hp 40; Init +0; Spd 40 ft.; AC 18,
touch 10, flat-footed 18; Base Atk +2; Grp+5; Atk +5 melee
(1d8+4, gore); Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+4, gore); SA ferocity; SQ
evasion, scent; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 11,
Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4.
Skills and Feats: Listen +7, Spot +5; Alertness, Toughness.
Ferocity (Ex): Thuk is such a tenacious combatant that it
continues to fight without penalty, even while disabled or
dying.
Evasion (Ex): If Thuk is exposed to any effect that normally
allows it to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it
takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Scent (Ex): Can detect approaching enemies, sniff out
hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
THE HOLY TEACHER
The holy teacher is devoted to the practice of sharing his virtue
with others. He might be a teacher in the traditional sense: a
scholar who imparts factual knowledge to others, perhaps
instructing them in the doctrines of a good religion or the pre-
cepts of a celestial order. Or he might be a cleric or other pious
individual who teaches in a moral sense, exhorting others to
follow the righteous path. Or perhaps he leads by example, the
force of his personality drawing others along the path he him-
self walks.
The holy teacher is drawn to adventures that allow him the
opportunity to teach—even if the only pupils are his own
adventuring companions. He might be drawn along as a guide
or advisor to a party on an important quest for the cause of good,
particularly if that quest deals with ancient lore that falls within
his specialty or involves dangerous moral temptation. He also
often adventures in order to broaden his own knowledge.
Sample Holy Teacher
At the age of six, Veshann saw a trumpet archon, and the sight
changed his life. He was so impressed with the celestial’s right-
eous majesty, so taken with its unearthly beauty, and so drawn to
the virtue it embodied that he became utterly fascinated with the
Seven Heavens, seeking to learn all he could about the origins of
this awesome creature. Now twenty-one, Veshann is no less
obsessed with the Heavens, and he is well on his way to access-
ing the mysteries of the Illuminated Heaven, the highest reaches
of Celestia. While progressing on his personal path toward
enlightenment, however, he tries to live his life as a model for
others to follow, particularly the rag-tag lot of adventurers he
travels with.Veshann is neither brilliantly intelligent nor deeply
wise, but his personality makes him a natural exemplar and
leader, and he shares his own experience of the life of virtue in
lieu of passing on any real knowledge or insight. He is happy to
leave theology to scholars and piety to priests, while guiding
others toward righteousness and perfection by example.
Veshann: Male human sorcerer 9/celestial mystic* 4; CR 13;
Medium humanoid; HD 9d4+27 plus 4d4+12; hp 73; Init +0; Spd
30 ft.; AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 21; Base Atk +6; Grp +7; Atk +9
melee (1d6+3, quarterstaff); Full Atk +9/+4 melee (1d6+3,
quarterstaff); SA exalted strike +2; SQ blessing of the golden
heaven, blessing of the silver heaven, damage reduction
5/magic, empathic link, endure elements, energy resistance 5,
greater sustenance, lantern archon familiar, mind shielding,
share spells, sustenance; AL LG; SV Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +13; Str
12, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 22.
*New prestige class described in Chapter 5 of this book.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +10, Diplomacy +8, Knowledge
(arcana) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Knowledge (religion)
+8, Listen +3, Spellcraft +13, Spot +3; Celestial Familiar*B
,
Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Holy RadianceB
, Nimbus of
LightB
, Purify Spell, Sacred Vow*, Servant of the Heavens*B
,
Spell Penetration, Stigmata*B
, Vow of Abstinence*B
, Vow of
Poverty*.
*New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book.
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Blessing of the Silver Heaven (Su): Veshann has electricity
resistance 10 and receives a +2 sacred bonus on saving throws
against disease, poison, and petrification. In addition, a magic
circle against evil effect (caster level 13th) always surrounds him.
Blessing of the Golden Heaven (Su): Veshann is immune
to death spells and magical death effects.
Empathic Link (Su): Veshann can communicate telepathi-
cally with his familiar at a distance of up to 1 mile. He has the
same connection to an item or a place that the familiar does.
Endure Elements (Ex): Veshann is immune to the effects of
being in a hot or cold environment (conditions between –50
and 140 degrees Fahrenheit).
Exalted Strike (Su): Veshann receives a +2 enhancement
bonus on all attack and damage rolls, and any weapon he wields
is considered both magic and good for the purpose of overcom-
ing damage reduction.
Greater Sustenance (Ex): Veshann doesn’t need to breathe.
Mind Shielding (Ex): Veshann is immune to detect thoughts,
discern lies, and any attempt to discern his alignment.
Share Spells (Ex): Veshann may have any spell he casts on
himself also affect his familiar if the latter is within 5 feet at
the time. He may also cast a spell with a target of “You” on his
familiar.
Sustenance (Ex): Veshann doesn’t need to eat or drink.
Spells Known (6/8/8/7/7/6/4; save DC 16 + spell level): 0—
arcane mark, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, light, message, ray of
frost, read magic, resistance; 1st—detect evil, lantern light*, mage
armor, magic missile, shield; 2nd—bear’s endurance, blur, scorching
ray, see invisibility, yoke of mercy*; 3rd—deep slumber, dispel magic, fly,
lightning bolt; 4th—greater invisibility, Otiluke’s resilient sphere, radi-
ant shield*; 5th—hold monster, summon monster V; 6th—wages of
sin*. Caster level 12th.
*New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book.
Possessions: quarterstaff, simple robe.
Gleam, Veshann’s Familiar: Lantern archon; CR —; Small out-
sider (extraplanar, good, lawful); HD 13; hp 36; Init +4; Spd fly
60 ft. (perfect); AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +7; Grp
+2; Atk +7 ranged touch (1d6, light ray); Full Atk +7 ranged
touch (1d6, 2 light rays); SA spell-like abilities; SQ aura of
menace, damage reduction 20/evil, deliver touch spells, immu-
nity to electricity and petrification, teleport, tongues, improved
evasion, grant Alertness; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +8; Str 1, Dex
11, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +4, Diplomacy +4, Knowledge
(the planes) +2, Listen +4, Sense Motive +4, Spot +4; Improved
Initiative.
Aura of Menace (Su): Any hostile creature within a 20-foot
radius of Gleam must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or take a –2
penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for one day or until that crea-
ture successfully hits Gleam. A creature that has resisted or
broken the effect cannot be affected again by Gleam’s aura for 24
hours.
Deliver Touch Spells (Su): Gleam can deliver touch spells
for Veshann if the two are in contact when Veshann casts the
touch spell.
Grant Alertness (Ex): While Gleam is within arm’s reach,
Veshann gains the Alertness feat.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that
normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Gleam
takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half
damage if the saving throw fails.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—aid, detect evil, continual flame.
Caster level 3rd.
Teleport (Su): Gleam can use greater teleport at will, as the
spell (caster level 14th), except that Gleam can transport only
itself and up to 50 pounds of objects.
Tongues (Su): Gleam can speak with any creature that has a
language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th).This
ability is always active.
THE PEASANT HERO
The peasant hero is a champion of the common folk who
achieved great things as a result of his virtue. He might be a
simple warrior or expert, he might start in an NPC class and
later multiclass, or he might start off in an adventuring class, but
in any event he never forgets his roots among the peasantry. He
remains humble, but he is defiant of authority and refuses to be
pushed around.
As an adventurer, the peasant hero protects the common
people from marauding monsters, cruel tyrants, bullying
nobles, and vicious brigands. He frees slaves and shelters
escaped slaves. He is a protector, a champion, and a hero-idol to
the people he serves.
Sample Peasant Hero
Solarian Goblinslayer is a tough, sometimes defensive urban
hood who has seen too much of life’s darker side. After spend-
ing his youth hanging around with violent gangs, he was jolted
away from a life of crime by the murder of his mentor. When his
street-gang friends were vanquished by a rival gang, Solarian
fled the city, carrying an ugly scar on his neck and deep wounds
in his heart. He has a strong sense of justice, honor, and good-
ness, and no tolerance for bullies. After a series of adventures in
which he earned his “Goblinslayer” appellation, he discovered a
new home and a new direction for his life in the temples of
Pelor, and took up the life of a paladin. He is anything but a
stereotypical paladin, preferring his old rapier and studded
leather armor to the traditional plate armor and sword of the
knightly warrior.
Solarian Goblinslayer: Male human rogue 3/paladin 1; CR 4;
Medium humanoid; HD 3d6 plus 1d10; hp 24; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +4; Grp +5; Atk +7
melee (1d6+2, +1 rapier) or +7 ranged (1d6+1, composite short
bow [+1 Str bonus]); Full Atk +7 melee (1d6+2, +1 rapier) or +7
ranged (1d6+1, composite short bow [+1 Str bonus]); SA sneak
attack +2d6, smite evil 1/day; SQ aura of good, detect evil, eva-
sion, trapfinding, trap sense +1; AL LG; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will
+2; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 16.
Skills and Feats: Climb +7, Diplomacy +7, Disable Device +5,
Escape Artist +7, Gather Information +7, Hide +7, Jump +3,
Knowledge (religion) +1, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Open
Lock +8, Sleight of Hand +4, Ride +6, Search +4, Spot +5,Tumble
+8; Subduing Strike*, Toughness, Weapon Finesse.
*New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book.
CHAPTER1:
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Aura of Good (Ex): Solarian’s aura of good (see the detect good
spell) is equal to that of a 1st-level cleric.
Detect Evil (Sp): At will, as the spell of the same name.
Evasion (Ex): If Solarian is exposed to any effect that nor-
mally allows him to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half
damage, he takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Smite Evil (Su): Solarian may attempt to smite evil with one
normal melee attack. He adds +3 to his attack roll and deals an
extra 1 point of damage. Smiting a creature that is not evil has
no effect but uses the ability for that day.
Sneak Attack (Ex): If Solarian can catch an
opponent when she is unable to defend herself
effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot
for an extra 2d6 points of damage. For complete
details on the sneak attack ability, see the descrip-
tion of the slayer of Domiel in Chapter 5:
Prestige Classes.
Trapfinding (Ex): Solarian can use a
Search check to locate a trap when the task
has a DC higher than 20.
Trap Sense (Ex): Against attacks by traps,
Solarian gets a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1
dodge bonus to Armor Class.
Possessions: +1 studded leather, +1 rapier, 4
daggers, masterwork thieves’ tools, com-
posite short bow (+1 Str bonus), 20
normal arrows, masterwork buckler, 3
flasks of holy water, silver holy symbol.
THE REDEEMED VILLAIN
The redeemed villain, as the phrase suggests,
was once evil or at least a self-interested neutral. Some-
how—through the direct action of an exalted character
working for her conversion, or as a result of circum-
stances and events—she turned from her old ways
and adopted a good alignment. Perhaps she started
off doing good deeds for selfish reasons. Even
done for the wrong reasons, good deeds improve
the person doing them, and eventually she
began doing them for their own sake, finally
becoming among the most virtuous of
heroes. More than any other heroic type, the
redeemed villain is sympathetic to those who
still live in their evil ways, and willing to work
toward their redemption as well as her own con-
tinuing improvement. She might still carry a load of
guilt for her past misdeeds and actively seek for-
giveness, or she might quickly grow angry with
anyone who would dare hold her past against her.
She is often more rough around the edges than char-
acters who were good all their lives, but is no less
dedicated to exalted deeds now.
On adventures, the redeemed villain shows the most interest
in spreading the good news she has experienced, offering
redemption to other villains but fighting fiercely when her
attempts are met with violence. Some are much like righteous
crusaders, smiting evil monsters wherever they are found,
while others focus their attention primarily on humanoid vil-
lains, foiling their vile schemes and hoping to guide them to
change their ways.
Sample Redeemed Villain
Thaqualm is an extraordinary redeemed villain: a mind flayer
who has joined the cause of good. Living deep underground on
the outskirts of a mind flayer city, Thaqualm was a victim of a
small-scale slave rebellion: Her duergar thralls broke free of her
mental control and forced her into three years of wretched servi-
tude, her mental powers suppressed and her body at the verge of
starvation. Finally, she was liberated—by an adventuring party
from the surface who killed her duergar masters but spared the
pathetic illithid, showing her kindness unlike any-
thing she had ever experienced before. Eventually,
she joined the adventurers and traveled with them
for two years. She joined a monastic order, and has
now retired to a life of contemplation. She has
sworn a vow of nonviolence and works hard
to redeem any evil humanoids she may
encounter, hoping to set them on the same
course that has proven so rewarding for her.
Thaqualm: Female mind flayer monk 8; CR 16;
Medium aberration; HD 8d8+16 plus 8d8+16;
hp 104; Init +9; Spd 50 ft.; AC 34, touch 25, flat-
footed 29; Base Atk +12; Grp +15; Atk +17 melee
(1d4+3, tentacle) or +15 melee (1d10+3,
unarmed strike); Full Atk +17 melee (1d4+3, 4
tentacles) or +15/+10/+5 melee (1d10+3,
unarmed strike) or +14/+14/+10/+5 melee
(1d10+3, unarmed strike); SA extract, improved
grab, ki strike (magic, lawful), mind blast, psionics;
SQ darkvision 60 ft., evasion, fast movement,
purity of body, slow fall (40 ft.), spell resistance
25, still mind, telepathy 100 ft., wholeness of
body; AL LG; SV Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +17;
Str 16, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 20, Cha 14.
Skills and Feats: Balance +15, Bluff +7, Con-
centration +21, Diplomacy +4, Hide +10, Intim-
idate +9, Jump +13, Knowledge (arcana) +17,
Knowledge (religion) +13, Listen +18, Move
Silently +9, Spot +14, Tumble +15; Combat
Casting, Combat ReflexesB
, Dodge, Improved
Initiative, Improved DisarmB
, Sacred Vow*, Sanc-
tify Ki Strike*, Stunning FistB
, Vow of Nonviolence*,
Vow of Obedience*, Weapon Finesse.
*New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book.
Extract (Ex): If Thaqualm begins her turn with all four ten-
tacles attached and wins a grapple check, she auto-
matically extracts the opponent’s brain, instantly
killing that creature. This power is useless against
constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and undead.
Extraction is not instantly fatal to foes with multiple heads, such
as ettins and hydras.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Thaqualm must hit
a Small, Medium, or Large creature with her tentacle attack. She
can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without pro-
voking an attack of opportunity. If she wins the grapple check,
she establishes a hold and attaches the tentacle to the oppo-
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CHAPTER1:
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Illus.byR.Spencer
More than anyone, a redeemed
villain understands that no
soul is beyond salvation.
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nent’s head. Thaqualm can grab a Huge or larger creature, but
only if she can somehow reach the foe’s head. If Thaqualm
begins its turn with at least one tentacle attached, she can try to
attach its remaining tentacles with a single grapple check. The
opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or
an Escape Artist check, but Thaqualm gets a +2 circumstance
bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of
the opponent’s turn.
Ki Strike (Su):Thaqualm’s unarmed strike can deal damage to
a creature with damage reduction as if the blow were made with
a magic and lawful weapon.
Mind Blast (Sp): This attack is a cone 60 feet long. Anyone
caught in this area must make a DC 16 Will save or be stunned
for 3d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. This ability is
the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.
Psionics (Sp): At will—charm monster (DC 16), detect thoughts
(DC 14), levitate, plane shift, suggestion (DC 15). Caster level 8th.
The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Evasion (Ex): If Thaqualm is exposed to any effect that nor-
mally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half
damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Purity of Body (Ex): Thaqualm has immunity to all diseases
except for magical diseases such as mummy rot and lycanthropy.
Slow Fall (Ex): When within arm’s reach of a wall,Thaqualm
can use it to slow her descent while falling. She takes damage as
if the fall were 40 feet shorter than it actually is.
Still Mind (Ex): +2 bonus on saving throws against spells
and effects from the enchantment school.
Telepathy (Su): Thaqualm can communi-
cate telepathically with any crea-
ture within 100 feet that has a
language.
Wholeness of Body (Su): Thaqualm
can cure up to 16 hp of her own wounds
each day, and she can spread this healing
out over several uses.
Possessions: Bracers of armor +6, monk’s belt, ring
of protection +4.
EXALTED CHARACTERS
A chaotic good barbarian swinging a holy greataxe is a very dif-
ferent character than a chaotic good sorcerer wielding holy
arcane power. Members of different character classes follow the
exalted path in different ways. The following section describes
some of those ways, including exalted feat choices and prestige
class options for characters of each basic class.
THE EXALTED BARBARIAN
Not at all the oxymoron some might think, an exalted barbarian
is chaotic good by necessity. He stands opposed to the evil in
decadent urban society, the tyranny of evil rulers, and the
machinations of devils. An exalted barbarian’s rage is an earthly
manifestation of celestial wrath against the forces of evil. His
greatest challenge is ensuring that, in the heat of his rage, he
does not commit an evil action by mistake.
Exalted Feat Choices: Knight of Stars, Quell the Profane,
Resounding Blow, Righteous Wrath, Sanctify Martial Strike.
Prestige Class Options: champion of Gwynharwyf, risen martyr,
skylord, sword of righteousness.
THE EXALTED BARD
While many bards are roguish scoundrels, the exalted bard is an
artiste who is attuned to the music of the heavens and the
poetry of creation. Often closely aligned with the eladrins,
exalted bards are perfectly suited to subduing opponents with-
out killing them by using their powerful enchantments. They
also command the power of human emotion, inspiring hope
and courage in their allies. Exalted bards are perhaps the ulti-
mate diplomats, combining skill and natural Charisma to avert
conflict as often as not.
Exalted Feat Choices: Favored of the Companions or Knight of
Stars, Holy Radiance, Nimbus of Light, Nymph’s Kiss, Sanctify
Martial Strike, Words of Creation.
Prestige Class Options: apostle of peace, exalted arcanist, risen
martyr, stalker of Kharash, troubadour of stars, wonderworker.
THE EXALTED CLERIC
By necessity, an exalted cleric serves a good deity—Heironeous,
Ehlonna, Pelor, Kord, Moradin, Yondalla, Garl Glittergold,
Bahamut, or perhaps one of the deities described in this chapter.
Though good-aligned clerics might worship the lawful neutral
St. Cuthbert or the chaotic neutral Olidammara, good clerics of
neutral deities are not wholly devoted to good and thus gener-
ally not permitted to gain exalted feats.
Exalted clerics are the perfect servants of good deities, living
extensions of their deities’ will. Their understanding of good is
filtered through their deities’ dogma and priorities: a cleric of
Heironeous is primarily interested in fighting evil, while a
cleric of Pelor spends much effort in helping and healing the
common folk. Both are equally good, equally exalted,
and they might even be of the same alignment, but
their priorities differ. Their faith is the lens
through which they view both the world and
the demands of the exalted life.
Exalted Feat Choices: Consecrate Spell Trigger, Exalted Turn-
ing, Favored of the Companions, Holy Radiance, Holy Sub-
dual, Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Purify Spell
Trigger, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant
of the Heavens, Words of Creation.
Prestige Class Options: apostle of peace, celestial
mystic, defender of Sealtiel, emissary of
Barachiel, fist of Raziel, prophet of
Erathaol, risen martyr, sentinel of
Bharrai, wonderworker.
THE EXALTED DRUID
If exalted bards are closely associated with the eladrins, then
exalted druids are linked to the bestial-seeming guardinal celes-
tials. Like the guardinals, exalted druids are both devoted to
good and intimately familiar with the natural world.They value
close friendships—whether with adventuring allies, animal
companions, or fey creatures—and particularly hate evil crea-
tures that despoil nature.
Exalted Feat Choices: Animal Friend, Exalted Companion,
Exalted Wild Shape, Favored of the Companions, Holy Radi-
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ance, Nimbus of Light, Nymph’s Kiss, Sanctify Martial Strike,
Sanctify Natural Attack.
Prestige Class Options: apostle of peace, beloved of Valarian, lion
of Talisid, risen martyr, sentinel of Bharrai, skylord, swanmay,
wonderworker.
THE EXALTED FIGHTER
Not every soldier of righteousness is a paladin. Many fighters
march into battle in good’s name. Without the divine power of
a paladin to support them, exalted fighters rely primarily on the
martial prowess reflected in their extensive selection of combat
feats, and only secondarily on any supernatural exalted feats
they might acquire. Particularly to neutral good and chaotic
good characters, the way of the fighter has distinct advantages
over the paladin’s difficult calling.
Exalted Feat Choices: Favored of the Companions, Fist of the
Heavens, Holy Subdual, Knight of Stars, Quell the Profane,
Resounding Blow, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant
of the Heavens.
Prestige Class Options: anointed knight, defender of Sealtiel,
risen martyr, skylord, sword of righteousness, vassal of
Bahamut.
THE EXALTED MONK
Disciplined ascetics who devote themselves to spiritual perfec-
tion, good monks are natural candidates for the extreme
demands of the exalted path. It is a small step from a monk’s
unarmed and unarmored fighting style to a vow of poverty that
rejects all accoutrements of battle. Likewise, many monks prac-
tice ascetic extremities that lead naturally into other lifelong
sacred vows. Good monks stand easily beside paladins among
the finest examples of exalted characters.
Exalted Feat Choices: Holy Ki Strike, Fist of the Heavens,
Nimbus of Light, Resounding Blow, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Ki
Strike, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant of the Heavens,Touch of
Golden Ice.
Prestige Class Options: celestial mystic, defender of Sealtiel, ini-
tiate of Pistis Sophia, risen martyr, sword of righteousness.
THE EXALTED PALADIN
If an exalted barbarian seems a bit like an oxymoron, then
“exalted paladin” probably sounds redundant. All paladins, of
course, are called to be exemplars of the lawful good alignment,
and to the extent that they succeed, they are among the finest
examples of exalted player characters as well.
Exalted Feat Choices: Celestial Mount, Exalted Smite, Exalted
Turning, Gift of Grace, Hands of a Healer, Holy Radiance,
Nimbus of Light, Quell the Profane, Ranged Smite Evil,
Resounding Blow, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant
of the Heavens.
Prestige Class Options: anointed knight, defender of Sealtiel,
emissary of Barachiel, fist of Raziel, prophet of Erathaol, risen
martyr, sword of righteousness, vassal of Bahamut.
THE EXALTED RANGER
Depending on their alignment, exalted rangers may end up sim-
ilar in many ways to paladins, druids, or barbarians. Like druids,
they are at home in the natural world (more so than in the lofty
contemplation of the celestial planes), and are very down-to-
earth in the figurative sense as well. For an exalted ranger, good
is not an abstract cosmic principle, but very concretely mani-
fested in how a person lives and treats others around him,
whether sentient or not. Exalted rangers always choose favored
enemies that are evil—they may have neutral opponents (such
as lizardfolk), but cannot devote their extensive training to
fighting opponents who are not actually evil.
Exalted Feat Choices: Animal Friend, Exalted Companion,
Nemesis, Nimbus of Light, Quell the Profane, Resounding
Blow, Sanctify Martial Strike.
Prestige Class Options: beloved of Valarian, defender of Sealtiel,
lion ofTalisid, prophet of Erathaol, risen martyr, skylord, stalker
of Kharash, swanmay, sword of righteousness.
THE EXALTED ROGUE
Exalted rogues, while they share the same class skills and abil-
ities as their nongood kin, are as a rule not roguish in the
descriptive sense. A lawful good rogue is as dependable as a
paladin, and a chaotic good rogue might sing with the eladrin
Court of Stars. Even lawful good rogues are not bound to an
abstract and impractical code of honor that would limit their
use of sneak attacks beyond the general limitations on vio-
lence discussed earlier in this chapter.The use of sneak attacks
is no more evil than the use of a bull rush or trampling maneu-
ver: when engaged in a life-or-death struggle against the
19
CHAPTER1:
THENATURE
OFGOOD
CELESTIAL MONSTER CLASSES
The Savage Species sourcebook contains rules for treating
monsters as character classes—an alternative system to the
monster advancement system presented in the Monster
Manual.
Unlike other classes, a monster class has a maximum
number of levels equal to the creature’s starting ECL. For
example, a hound archon’s starting ECL is 11, so the hound
archon monster class has 11 levels. As a monster attains a new
level in its class, it becomes gradually more powerful (just as a
member of any other class does) until it attains the maximum
level in its class and thereby gains all of the abilities of the crea-
ture described in the Monster Manual.
When using the rules in Savage Species to create a character
with one or more levels in a monster class, you can ignore level
adjustment. This is replaced by your character’s monster class
level.
A monster character may not multiclass until it completes
the full progression in its monster class. This rule keeps char-
acters from gaining the benefits of a monster’s type and then
quickly switching to a standard class.
Appendix I in Savage Species includes various good-aligned
monster classes such as centaurs, djinnis, and treants, as well
as the following celestial monster classes:
• Astral deva • Hound archon
• Avoral guardinal • Lillend
• Ghaele eladrin • Trumpet archon
pqqqqrs
pqqqqrs
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forces of evil, use tactics that help ensure your victory. That
said, a rogue’s ability to deal sneak attack damage with a sub-
dual weapon (a sap, or a normal weapon if the rogue has the
Subduing Strike feat) makes her very well suited to capturing
foes alive, showing the mercy that good demands.
Exalted Feat Choices: Favored of the Companions, Holy Sub-
dual, Knights of Stars, Nymph’s Kiss, Sacred Strike, Sanctify
Martial Strike, Servant of the Heavens.
Prestige Class Options: emissary of Barachiel, risen martyr,
slayer of Domiel, stalker of Kharash, sword of righteousness.
THE EXALTED SORCERER
Some exalted sorcerers proudly claim their descent from metal-
lic dragons, while others suggest that their powers come more
directly from the celestial realm. Like wizards, exalted sorcerers
bring arcane might to the fight against evil, much like paladins
wielding staffs instead of swords.They generally eschew necro-
mancy and avoid casting evil spells at all costs. Many exalted
sorcerers learn to channel celestial energies with spells ranging
from the 1st-level lantern light to the 9th-level blinding glory
(described in Chapter 6: Magic), and some few (those who
adopt the exalted arcanist prestige class) also learn to channel
limited divine power as if they were clerics.
Exalted Feat Choices: Celestial Familiar, Favored of the Com-
panions, Holy Radiance, Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Stig-
mata, Nymph’s Kiss, Sacred Vow, Servant of the Heavens, Words
of Creation.
Prestige Class Options: celestial mystic, exalted arcanist,
prophet of Erathaol, risen martyr, sentinel of Bharrai, trouba-
dour of stars, wonderworker.
THE EXALTED WIZARD
An exalted wizard appears as a awe-inspiring figure swathed in
white robes, glowing with celestial energy, and radiating right-
eous fury. Like sorcerers, many exalted wizards claim to have
received their spells not from celestial ancestry, but from the
libraries of the heavenly powers, so that they might use those
spells in battle against evil.Their spell preferences echo those of
exalted sorcerers.
Exalted Feat Choices: Celestial Familiar, Favored of the Com-
panions, Holy Radiance, Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Stig-
mata, Nymph’s Kiss, Sacred Vow, Servant of the Heavens, Words
of Creation.
Prestige Class Options: celestial mystic, prophet of Erathaol,
risen martyr, sentinel of Bharrai, wonderworker.
SIN AND ATONEMENT
The higher one’s standards, the easier it is to fall short of them.
There are times in any campaign when players of good charac-
ters make bad choices or are forced into a choice between two
evils and end up committing the lesser. The dangers are great:
paladins and good clerics might lose class abilities or spell
access, and other characters could lose access to exalted feats.
Depending on the severity of the transgression, good characters
might become neutral or even evil, either in one cataclysmic fall
or over the course of a long downward spiral.
The powers of good would be hypocritical if they demanded
that mortals offer forgiveness to one another while themselves
withholding it from mortals who displease them.Therein is the
blessing and assurance that all good creatures can cling to: there
is no sin so great that it cannot be forgiven. However, just as
when player characters extend forgiveness to villains, forgive-
ness is predicated upon repentance. A character who has com-
mitted an evil act cannot simply obtain an atonement spell and
carry on as if nothing had happened. She must first make
amends for her actions, at least trying to repair any damage she
caused and offering sincere apologies to those who might still
hold resentment against her. She must demonstrate a willing-
ness to try harder in the future to avoid such actions, a real com-
mitment to avoiding evil at all costs. In many cases, she must
also perform an act of penance: a good deed that most likely has
nothing to do with reparations to those she injured, but simply
demonstrates her renewed commitment to good.
With all these criteria met, the powers of good joyfully wel-
come straying sheep who return to the fold, and an atonement
spell subsequently cast can have its full effect: restoring a pal-
adin’s class, restoring a cleric’s or druid’s spell powers, or restor-
ing the benefits of exalted feats to any character.
EXALTED ADVENTURES
It is possible to take a party of exalted player characters and let
them make their way through any D&D adventure. They are
still D&D characters, even if their motivations might differ
from those of many other characters and the abilities they bring
to bear might be different as well. However, if an adventure
doesn’t speak to their motivations, they might take it in a com-
pletely different direction than the DM intended. Likewise, a
campaign needs to address what matters to the characters, offer
them opportunities to shine (in terms of both using the powers
they have acquired and demonstrating their heroic righteous-
ness), and provide them with truly evil opponents to face. This
section, more than any other in this book, is designed with the
Dungeon Master in mind. Nothing here need be off-limits to
players’ eyes, but DMs in particular will find specific advice
about how to craft adventures and campaigns that feature
exalted characters to best effect.
LET HEROES BE HEROES
There are two sides to this maxim. On the one hand, don’t put
player characters into situations where the only way to succeed
is to be a scoundrel or a villain. On the other hand, let PCs do
things that matter, that make a difference in the world and in
the lives of its people.
It is okay to put a mature group of players into a situation
where they face a difficult choice between the right thing to
do (from a moral and ethical perspective) and the easy thing to
do. It is also okay to let them suffer a little bit, in the short
term, for making the right choice for righteousness over
reward. Good people rarely have it easy in life, and exalted
characters may actually find themselves persecuted, hated,
and reviled. You can force them to suffer setbacks in order to
remain on the straight and narrow path of righteousness, but
as a general rule, don’t force them to suffer devastating failure.
This is a general rule, not a universal one: there may in fact be
times when a glorious martyrdom for the entire party is an
acceptable climax to an adventure or a campaign. If your play-
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ers are ready to start a new
group of PCs, younger heroes
who will eventually rise to vanquish
the evil that claimed the lives of the saints
gone before, or if you envision a period of time
where every PC becomes a risen martyr in order
to bring the campaign to a close, then let the characters find
themselves facing a choice between certain death and ultimate
corruption. It is hard to imagine a more spectacular and rivet-
ing campaign event. If you are not planning such a dramatic
turn, however, stick to the general rule: let their choices be dif-
ficult but not deadly.
Equally as important, let their choices and their actions
matter. Don’t send exalted characters on dungeon crawl after
dungeon crawl with no higher purpose than garnering as
much loot as possible, “the better to fight evil monsters with.”
Their confronta-
tion with the
forces of evil should
not be random or haphaz-
ard, and they shouldn’t quest
after holy relics just so they can
use them to smite the monster
behind the next door. Characters
built around a mission to combat evil
don’t want to just combat it whenever they
happen to break down a door and find an evil
monster there. They want to foil nefarious plots, uncover dia-
bolical cults, and slay not just evil monsters, but evil villains.
They need to know that, when they purge a dungeon of every
evil creature within, they have made a difference in the world.
They have prevented future raids on the nearby village,
stopped the cultists from calling their archdevil master to the
world, or concretely tipped the cosmic balance in favor of
good, at least for a time.
Along the same lines, appeal to the PCs’ motivations—a
fundamental rule of adventure design. Don’t offer a sizable
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THENATURE
OFGOOD
Illus.byR.Spencer
Good and evil battle to the death.
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financial reward to a group of PCs who have all sworn a vow of
poverty. Better still, let a group of characters who might be
strapped for cash show their true heroism by helping out when
there’s no hope of reward. (Later, surprise them with treasure
that more than meets their financial needs. They shouldn’t be
good for the sake of the reward, but virtue can have rewards
besides virtue itself.) Cast most adventures, if not every one, in
terms of real conflict between good and evil, not just conflicts
between people and monsters with lots of treasure involved.
EXALTED HEROES NEED VILE FOES
Much of the material in this book is designed specifically to
address similar material in the Book of Vile Darkness. There are
orders dedicated to the Celestial Paragons to combat the fiendish
cults described there, beneficent spells designed to alleviate the
effects of vile spells, and so on. You don’t need the Book of Vile
Darkness to make satisfying adventures for exalted PCs, but truly
vile villains help to create a sense of contrast that makes players
feel that much more heroic. Exalted characters shouldn’t strug-
gle to foil the plans of a vaguely sinister bureaucrat who plots
to raise taxes in his province. Instead, they should fight the
undead hordes ofYstan the Graylord while seeking to
liberate the mentally enslaved soldiers that swell his
army’s ranks, or quest to destroy the demon-pos-
sessed blue dragon Enesstrere, who is gathering a
demonic army to conquer all the
tribes of the desert.
A thoroughly evil villain provides
a dramatic foil for the characters, a
yardstick against which they can
measure their own virtue. The
ideal villain, in fact, is one
whose life is strangely paral-
lel to one or more of the PCs’:
perhaps a character of similar
birth and circumstances, who
simply made wrong choices
at key junctures in his life. If
one of the PCs is a peasant hero
who spent his youth mixed up with
violent gangs but managed to rise above his origins and become
a paladin, then an ideal villain would be one of his old buddies
who has become a criminal overlord in the hero’s home city.
Allow the player to see how the choices spelled out in his char-
acter’s background, as well as the choices he made while playing
the character, have made him the hero he is today, while differ-
ent choices might have led him to the other end of the sword of
justice.
GET TO THE ROOTS
Exalted characters tend to look at the big picture, or at least they
should be encouraged in that direction. If a tribe of once-peace-
ful lizardfolk has started conquering large stretches of human
territory, exalted characters should wonder what caused the
change in behavior, rather than just slaughtering hordes of neu-
tral creatures. Perhaps a black dragon moved into their old ter-
ritory, forcing them to relocate, and characters with enough
patience and skill in Diplomacy can negotiate a peaceful settle-
ment. On the other hand, perhaps a demonic cult has been
actively recruiting among the lizardfolk, has converted or killed
their leader and seized control of the tribe. Even in this case, the
cause of good is better served by going straight to the top and
unseating the corrupted leader, rather than simply slaughtering
all the lizardfolk the characters can find.
A campaign that features exalted characters should allow
those characters ample opportunity to address the root causes of
the problems they face, so that they can not only stop evil in its
tracks, but also prevent it from ever regaining the same
foothold. Rather than blindly striking wherever the many-
headed hydra of evil should happen to rear its next ugly head,
exalted characters should have a chance to root out its origin,
even to strike at its heart, perhaps in a climactic, campaign-
ending battle.
BRINGING GOOD OUT OF EVIL
Deities in the D&D universe are not omnipotent. They do not
have control over everything that happens on the Material
Plane, even events directly related to their portfolio. Mortals
have free will—exemplified by the willful-
ness of most player characters—and often
choose to act in ways that are contrary to the bid-
ding of one or more deities. If a deity wants
events to unfold a certain way, she must
react to the actions of mortals and try
to shape events and circum-
stances, through her mortal
servants and through direct
application of divine power, to
turn those actions toward her
own ends. A good Dungeon
Master, rather than forcing
his players along a certain
course of actions and
events, adapts the events of
the adventure in response to
their actions and brings the
adventure back around to them.
In the same way, the deities of
good, unable to force mortals to
be good, work to turn even the most evil actions mortals per-
form around to good ends.
As agents of good, many heroes find themselves in the situa-
tion of bringing good out of evil.This is grim work, and even the
most exalted characters loathe the idea that all they can do is
clean up the messes caused by evil. It is important work, how-
ever, for without it humans would quickly lose all faith in good-
ness. When designing adventures for exalted characters, it is not
enough that, after finding a village burned to the ground and its
inhabitants raised as zombies to serve the evil necromancer, the
PCs wipe out the zombie army and slay the necromancer.There
must also be some opportunity for them to bring good out of the
horrible tragedy of the village. Perhaps the players can hold up
the example of the village to quarreling neighbor nations,
inspiring them to put aside their differences and cooperate to
help the PCs defeat the zombie army and kill the necromancer.
Afterward, the two nations might sign a lasting peace accord in
the ruins of the village, then work together to rebuild it in
memory of the dead.
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his chapter includes variant rules covering a variety of
exalted topics, from channeling celestials to incorpo-
rating voluntary poverty and nonviolence into a game
that often is all about killing monsters and taking their
stuff. These rules may or may not be suitable for your
campaign, and your DM should give final approval on whether
you may use them.
CHANNELING
Certain fiends are known for their ability to seize control of a
creature or object, a phenomenon known as possession. Respect
for the life and dignity of sentient creatures bars good creatures
from usurping control of another in this manner. However,
some celestials are content to exercise their power through a
mortal form if the mortal host invites them to do so. Similar in
many ways to fiendish possession, celestial channeling is an
importantmeansbywhichtheforcesofgoodworkintheworld.
Celestial channeling works in a manner similar to the Pos-
sess Mortal divine salient ability that some deities have (as
detailed in Deities and Demigods). In addition to deities, some
celestials have the spell-like ability to invest mortals with their
power in this fashion, and there are spells (channel celestial and
channel greater celestial, both described in Chapter 6) that allow
mortals to invite any celestial into their bodies in this way.
Unlike fiendish possession, channeling works only if the
mortal is willing. The celestial does not assume an ethereal
form in preparation for possessing the mortal; it simply
merges its own form with the mortal’s as part of its spell-
like ability. As with possession, spells such as protection
from good block celestial channeling, even if the spell’s
target is willing to channel the celestial. Similarly, spells
such as dismissal or dispel good, as well as special abilities
that drive possessing spirits out of their victims, can
work on the channeled celestial even if the mortal
wants the celestial to remain.
A mortal channeling a celestial becomes a mortal
manifestation of the celestial’s power.The celestial can
draw on all of the mortal’s memories, and the celestial
senses what the mortal senses. The mortal and the
celestial can communicate telepathically, but neither
has complete access to the current thoughts of the
other.Whilechannelingacelestial,themortal’sIntel-
ligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores become 5
points lower than the celestial’s (or remain the same
as the mortal’s scores if they are higher). An increase
in Wisdom affects the mortal’s Will saves, and all
three increases might affect bonus spells and
saving throw DCs for spells and special abilities.
The mortal can use its own skills and the celes-
tial’s skills. If the mortal and the celestial have the
same skill, use the skill of whichever has more ranks
in the skill. Use the mortal’s effective ability
scores to determine skill modifiers.
23
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24
The channeling mortal can use all of the celestial’s supernat-
ural and spell-like abilities, and can cast spells known to the
celestial if his requisite ability scores are high enough.
The mortal remains in complete control of his own body
while channeling the celestial, so celestials never allow non-
good mortals to channel them. The mortal or the celestial can
end the channeling at any time, as a free action. When this
occurs, the celestial appears in an unoccupied space adjacent to
the mortal.
EXALTED COHORTS
An exalted character with the Leadership feat may, at the DM’s
discretion, acquire a celestial, a metallic dragon, a good-aligned
magical beast, or some other creature of good as a special
cohort. As detailed in the Dungeon Master’s
Guide, use the monster’s level adjust-
ment (when that is available) to
determine its effective cohort
level. For example, a player char-
acter with a leadership score of 8
can have a 5th-level cohort. A
pixie has 1 Hit Die and a level
adjustment of +4, meaning a pixie
is effectively a 5th-level character.
Thus, a player character (PC) with a leadership score
of 8 can have a pixie as a cohort, assuming that he is
committed to the exalted path, that he is chaotic good
(like the pixie), and that the DM agrees.
Table 2–1: Example Special Cohorts lists a number of good-
aligned creatures that might be available as cohorts to exalted
characters, with their alignment and their level equivalent (Hit
Dice + level adjustment). See the Dungeon Master’s Guide for
more information.
EXALTED GODS
Next to Heironeous, Pelor, Ehlonna, and Kord, the deities pre-
sented here are relatively insignificant—demigods with limited
portfolios and small followings. Nevertheless, they exemplify
some of the finest aspects of the good alignment, from joy and
pleasure to martyrdom and the fiery radiance that sears evil.
While few people claim these deities as their sole patron, many
offer occasional prayers or small sacrifices to them.
AYAILLA
The goddess of light, Ayailla is called the Bright Eagle or the
Brilliant Mistress. She is the steward of celestial radiance, and
she watches over the good creatures of the sky. She is depicted
either as a phoenix bathed in brilliant light or as a beautiful red-
skinned woman with large, feathered wings.
Ayailla claims many nonhumans among her worshipers,
including giant eagles, giant owls, pegasi, lammasus, cloud and
storm giants, and good dragons. Surprisingly, she is also revered
by some dwarves, including paladins, who quest to bring light
into the darkness of the deep regions, both literally and
metaphorically. Her symbol is a phoenix, and the domains
she is associated with are Glory, Good, and Sun. She is neu-
tral good and her favored weapon is the spear.
Clerics of Ayailla are bearers of her celestial light.
Some take that mission literally, such as the
dwarves mentioned above, or clerics who use
celestial radiance to combat plagues of undead.
Others interpret their mission more metaphori-
cally, working to illuminate and educate people,
teaching everything from basic liter-
acy to abstract philosophy.
Ayailla’s temples are most
commonly found in the
cloud-castles of
good giants or in
s u b t e r r a n e a n
dwarven strong-
holds, where they
are beacons of light
in the darkness.
CHAAV
Olidammara is often known as the
Laughing Rogue, but Chaav is the
Smiling God, whose laughter comes
from pure and simple delight in
the world and its inhabitants.
The god of joy is normally
pictured as a boy or very
young man with a wide
smile and easy manner. He is
usually found in the company
of his sister, Lastai.
Chaav teaches a dogma of enjoyment, pleasure, and delight.
He cares little for elaborate humor or wordplay, and has no tol-
erance for those who laugh at others’ expense. He is often
revered by sprites, good satyrs, and other good fey that share his
delight in simple pleasures. Chaav’s symbol is a bunch of wild-
flowers, and his favored weapon is the quarterstaff.The domains
he is associated with are Chaos, Good, Joy, and Trickery. He is
chaotic good.
Chaav’s clerics work with simple farmers and artisans, and
only rarely join adventuring bands.They labor to bring joy to all
people they encounter, not just the laughter from a funny joke,
but the joy, peace, and contentment with life that a pure heart
can bring. Chaav has some small shrines in small hamlets and
villages, but they are modest affairs even by the standards of
such small communities.
CHAPTER2:
VARIANT
RULES
Illus.byJ.Jarvis
An exalted wizard and his
loyal dragon cohort
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ESTANNA
Goddess of hearth and home, Estanna is called the Hearthten-
der or the Virgin. She is depicted as a young woman dressed in
commoner’s garb, often cooking.
Estanna’s faith teaches the simple virtues of home and family
life. She is revered in many good households, honored at the
lighting of the hearthfire even by people who are otherwise
entirely devoted to a single deity or none at all. Her symbol is a
hearth and her favored weapon is the dagger. The domains
Estanna is associated with are Community, Good, and Protec-
tion. She is neutral good.
Estanna has very few clerics, and needs no more than that.
People worship her without any need for intermediaries, and
she has no overarching agenda that requires a large force of
mortal agents doing her work on the Material Plane. A very few
clerics serve her exclusively, ministering to commoners in their
homes and offering services from curing to midwifery, rather
than any actual priestly function.There are no temples devoted
to Estanna, since she is properly worshiped only in the home.
LASTAI
The sister of Chaav, Lastai is the goddess of pleasure, love, and
passion. She is powerfully sensual but neither seductive nor
licentious. She is depicted as a beautiful, voluptuous woman.
Lastai teaches that sensual pleasures are meant to be enjoyed,
and is not shy about teaching the proper way to enjoy them. As
goddess of love as well as passion, she stresses the importance of
equality in all kinds of relationships, from business dealings to
sexual intimacy. She teaches the enjoyment of food without glut-
tony, the enjoyment of rest without sloth, the enjoyment of
luxury without greed, and the enjoyment of sex without exploita-
tion. Her symbol is a peach, and her favored weapon is the grasp-
ing pole (described in Chapter 3: Exalted Equipment). The
domains Lastai is associated with are Chaos, Good, and Pleasure.
She is chaotic good.
Lastai’s clerics are often called upon to perform wedding cer-
emonies and counsel lovers. They seek out pleasure for them-
selves, but that pursuit is less important than helping others
find pleasure and love in their own lives. Her faith is sometimes
reviled by those who view it as prurient or immoral, but Lastai’s
clerics argue strongly that sexuality is a good gift meant to be
properly enjoyed, not repressed. Lastai has a few small temples,
mostly found in large cities, that constantly battle against their
undeserved reputation as being nothing more than glorified
brothels.
25
CHAPTER2:
VARIANT
RULES
Table 2–1: Example Special Cohorts
Level
Creature Alignment Equivalent
Aasimar1
Any good 2nd
Grig Chaotic good 4th
Bariaur6
Chaotic good 5th
Lantern archon Lawful good 5th
Pixie2
Chaotic good 5th
Blink dog Lawful good 6th
Brass dragon (wyrmling)4
Chaotic good 6th
Pegasus Chaotic good 6th
Copper dragon (wyrmling)4
Chaotic good 7th
Coure eladrin6
Chaotic good 7th
Musteval guardinal6
Neutral good 7th
Rhek6
Lawful good 8th
Unicorn3
Chaotic good 8th
Cervidal guardinal7
Neutral good 9th
Brass dragon (very young)4
Chaotic good 10th
Bronze dragon (wyrmling)4
Lawful good 10th
Werebear Lawful good 10th
Bralani eladrin Chaotic good 11th
Copper dragon (very young)4
Chaotic good 11th
Hound archon Lawful good 11th
Silver dragon (wyrmling)4
Lawful good 11th
Gold dragon (wyrmling)4
Lawful good 12th
Leskylor6
Neutral good 12th
Treant Neutral good 12th
Bronze dragon (very young)4
Lawful good 13th
Djinni Chaotic good 13th
Equinal guardinal6
Neutral good 13th
Lillend Chaotic good 13th
Asura6
Chaotic good 14th
Brass dragon (young)4
Chaotic good 14th
Silver dragon (very young)4
Lawful good 14th
Avoral guardinal Neutral good 15th
Copper dragon (young)4
Chaotic good 15th
Hollyphant6
Neutral good 15th
Level
Creature Alignment Equivalent
Lupinal guardinal7
Neutral good 15th
Warden archon6
Lawful good 15th
Couatl Lawful good 16th
Gold dragon (very young)4
Lawful good 16th
Brass dragon (juvenile)4
Chaotic good 17th
Moon dog6
Neutral good 17th
Quesar6
Neutral good 17th
Bronze dragon (young)4, 5
Lawful good 18th
Copper dragon (juvenile)4, 5
Chaotic good 18th
Firre eladrin5, 6
Chaotic good 18th
Owl archon5, 6
Lawful good 18th
Silver dragon (young)4, 5
Lawful good 18th
Ursinal guardinal5, 6
Neutral good 18th
Astral deva (angel)5
Any good 20th
Ghaele eladrin5
Chaotic good 20th
Gold dragon (young)4, 5
Lawful good 20th
Leonal guardinal5
Neutral good 20th
Sword archon5, 6
Lawful good 20th
Trumpet archon5
Lawful good 20th
Shiradi eladrin5, 6
Chaotic good 24th
1 Upon taking a level in a class, an aasimar loses the base
attack bonus, base save bonuses, and skill points it had as a
monster and gains the base attack bonus, base save
bonuses, and skill points of the class. The aasimar retains its
racial bonuses to skills, darkvision, spell-like abilities, and
energy resistances.
2 A pixie cohort cannot use Otto’s irresistible dance.
3 Leader must be a human, elf, or half-elf female.
4 The dragon ages but does not gain XP.
5 This creature cohort is available only to epic-level characters
and requires the Epic Leadership feat described in the Epic
Level Handbook.
6 New creature described in Chapter 8 of this book.
7 From Monster Manual II.
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B O O K O F E X A L T E D D E E D S James Wyatt, Christopher Perkins, Darrin Drader U.S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC & LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Inc. P.O. Box 707 Renton WA 98057-0707 Questions? 1-800-324-6496 EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS Wizards of the Coast, Belgium T Hofveld 6d 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden Belgium +322-467-3360 Dungeons&Dragons,D&D,DungeonMaster,d20,d20System,thed20Systemlogo,ForgottenRealms,WizardsOfTheCoast,andtheWizardsoftheCoastlogoaretrademarksof Wizards of the Coast, Inc., in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Wizards characters, characternames, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Distributedtothehobby,toy,andcomictradeintheUnitedStatesandCanadabyregionaldistributors.DistributedintheUnitedStatestothebooktradebyHoltzbrinckPublishing.Distributed inCanadatothebooktradebyFennLtd.DistributedworldwidebyWizardsoftheCoast,Inc.,andregionaldistributors.ThismaterialisprotectedunderthecopyrightlawsoftheUnitedStates of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2003 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. NOTICE: Book of Exalted Deeds is intended for our adult audience. Parental discretion is advised. Playtesters: Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Todd Meyer, Jon Pickens, Alex Weitz, Amy Wyatt Ulmo (“Elmo”) Lightbringer appears courtesy of Rob Lightner. Based on the original Dungeons & Dragons® rules created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the new Dungeons & Dragons® game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This WIZARDS OF THE COAST® product containsno Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form with- out written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System™ License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. Inspired by the utter vileness of the Book of Vile Darkness designed by Monte Cook. “Light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error. It is these mingled opposites which people our life, which make it pungent, intoxicating. We only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash.”–Louis Aragon (1897-1982). 620-88026-001-EN 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Printing: October 2003 Visit our website at www.wizards.com/dnd D E V E L O P E R Christopher Perkins D E V E L O P M E N T T E A M Andy Collins, Ed Stark, James Wyatt D E S I G N C O N T R I B U T O R S Jesse Decker, Erik Mona E D I T O R S Michele Carter, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel M A N A G I N G E D I T O R Bill McQuillan D E S I G N M A N A G E R Ed Stark D I R E C T O R O F R P G R & D Bill Slavicsek V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F P U B L I S H I N G Mary Kirchoff P R O J E C T M A N A G E R Martin Durham A R T D I R E C T O R Dawn Murin C O V E R A R T Henry Higginbotham I N T E R I O R A R T I S T S Tom Baxa, Steve Belladin, Matt Cavotta, Brent Chumley, Rebecca Guay- Mitchell, Jeremy Jarvis, Doug Kovacs, Ginger Kubic, David Martin, Matt Mitchell, MarkNelson,WayneReynolds, RonSpencer,ArnieSwekel,BenThompson G R A P H I C D E S I G N E R Dawn Murin GRAPHIC PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Angelika Lokotz O R I G I N A L I N T E R I O R D E S I G N Sean Glenn P R O D U T I O N M A N A G E R Chas DeLong 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:43 PM Page 2
3 TABLEOF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Chapter 1: The Nature of Good . . . . . . . . 5 Exalted Deeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Straight and Narrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Law, Chaos, and Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Playing a Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Exalted Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Sin and Atonement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Exalted Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Chapter 2: Variant Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Channeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Exalted Cohorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Exalted Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Exorcism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Heroes of the Heavens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Heroic Sacrifice and Martyrdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Mercy, Prisoners, and Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sainthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Tithes and Offerings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Voluntary Poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Waging Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Words of Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Chapter 3: Exalted Equipment . . . . . . . 33 Sanctified Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Nonlethal Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Ravages and Afflictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Relics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Optional Material Components . . . . . . . . . 37 Special Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Chapter 4: Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Exalted Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Feat Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Chapter 5: Prestige Classes . . . . . . . . . . 49 Anointed Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Apostle of Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Beloved of Valarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Celestial Mystic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Champion of Gwynharwyf . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Defender of Sealtiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Emissary of Barachiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Exalted Arcanist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Fist of Raziel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Initiate of Pistis Sophia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Lion of Talisid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Prophet of Erathaol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Risen Martyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Sentinel of Bharrai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Skylord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Slayer of Domiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Stalker of Kharash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Swanmay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Sword of Righteousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Troubadour of Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Vassal of Bahamut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Wonderworker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Chapter 6: Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Good Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Spell Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Cleric Domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Spell Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Redeeming Evil Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . 119 Irredeemable Evil Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Chapter 7: Celestial Paragons . . . . . . . 121 Celestial Paragons In Your Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Celestial Paragons and Clerics . . . . . . . . . 123 The Upper Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Law and Chaos in the Heavens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 The Celestial Hebdomad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Talisid and the Five Companions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 The Court of Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Celestial Planar Allies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Chapter 8: Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 The Deathless Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Aleax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Archon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Owl Archon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Sword Archon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Throne Archon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Warden Archon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Asura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Bariaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Crypt Warden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Eladrin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Coure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Firre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Shiradi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Tulani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Guardinal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Equinal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Musteval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Ursinal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Hollyphant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Leskylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Moon Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Quesar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Rhek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Sacred Watcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Saint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Sanctified Creature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Swarm, Divine Wrath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Apocalypse Frog Swarm . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Bronze Locust Swarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Deathraven Swarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Sunfly Swarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Appendix: Index of Celestials . . . . . . . 191 Celestial Creatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Celestial-Related Templates . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Celestials by Challenge Rating . . . . . . . . 191 Sidebars Exalted Deeds and Vile Darkness . . . . . . . . 6 Exalted Versus Epic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Celestial Monster Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Skylord’s Mounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Sample Skylord’s Mounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Expanded Summoning Tables . . . . . . . . . 190 Tables Table 2–1: Example Special Cohorts . . . . . 25 Table 2–2: Half-Celestial Level Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Table 2–3: Voluntary Poverty . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Table 3–1: Nonlethal Weapons . . . . . . . . . . 34 Table 3–2: Ravages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Table 3–3: Afflictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Table 3–4: Good Spell Components . . . . . 37 Table 4–1: Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Table 4–1: Feats (cont) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Table 4–2: Ancestral Relic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Table 5–1: The Anointed Knight . . . . . . . . 50 Table 5–2: The Apostle of Peace . . . . . . . . . 51 Table 5–3: The Beloved of Valarian . . . . . . 53 Table 5–4: The Celestial Mystic . . . . . . . . . 55 Table 5–5: The Champion of Gwynharwyf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Table 5–6: The Defender of Sealtiel . . . . . . 58 Table 5–7: The Emissary of Barachiel . . . . 60 Table 5–8: Emissary of Barachiel Spells Known . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Table 5–9: The Exalted Arcanist . . . . . . . . . 62 Table 5–10: The Fist of Raziel . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Table 5–11: The Initiate of Pistis Sophia . 64 Table 5–12: The Lion of Talisid . . . . . . . . . . 65 Table 5–13: The Prophet of Erathaol . . . . . 67 Table 5–14: The Risen Martyr . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Table 5–15: The Sentinel of Bharrai . . . . . 70 Table 5–16: The Skylord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Table 5–17: The Slayer of Domiel . . . . . . . 73 Table 5–18: The Stalker of Kharash . . . . . . 75 Table 5–19: The Swanmay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Table 5–20: The Sword of Righteousness . 78 Table 5–21: The Troubadour of Stars . . . . . 79 Table 5–22: The Vassal of Bahamut . . . . . . 80 Table 5–23: The Wonderworker . . . . . . . . . 82 Table 7–1: Channel Celestial Paragon Conferred Qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Table 7–2: Channel Celestial Paragon Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:43 PM Page 3
4 IntroductionWelcome to the Book of Exalted Deeds. There is an obvious parallel between this book and its prede- cessor, the Book of Vile Darkness. Both are named after minor artifacts detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, artifacts that define the sharp polarity between the most abhorrent pits of evil and the highest peaks of righteousness. While the Book of Vile Darkness concerns itself with all things evil, dealing with the most reprehensible subjects ever covered in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game, this book tackles the opposite subject. The two books share a similar outline, and there are several other parallels in content as well, but their essential function is quite different. The Book of Vile Darkness gives Dungeon Mas- ters the tools they need to bring the villains and monsters of their campaigns to new lows of depravity and evil. Armed with the Book of Exalted Deeds, players can now bring their characters, the heroes of the cam- paign, to great new heights of valor and righteousness. In contrast to thor- oughly vile villains, heroes are called upon to perform truly exalted deeds. The Book of Exalted Deeds is for players who aren’t satisfied by slapping a good alignment label on their character and then acting no different from the neutral characters in the party. This book is all about how to make a good alignment mean something, and how to live up to the ideals implied in that alignment. This is not a book about what good characters can’t do—it’s not a list of ways to avoid being evil. Rather, it’s about what they can do, the power that they gain as a direct result of adhering to a higher standard of righteousness than most of the world can hope to achieve. It’s about being an agent of good, whether a character serves a good deity or simply adheres to more abstract ideas of goodness. It’s about following a higher call than the lure of gold and experience points, wrestling with tougher choices than which monster to kill first or what magic item to buy with newfound loot, and doing the kinds of heroic deeds that make a difference in the game world. Like the Book of Vile Darkness, the Book of Exalted Deeds is intended for mature players. That’s not because it’s filled with lurid depictions of depravity and torture. The material isn’t meant to shock or offend (though some topics may). Rather, this book deals with tough questions of ethics and morality in a serious manner. It’s intended to help players and Dungeon Masters wrestle with hard in-game issues: Is it okay to slaugh- ter every drow I see and sell their goods on the open market? How do I wrest information from enemy prisoners without compromising my alignment? Is there any hope for the orc whelps in the stronghold, or should we slaughter them, too? Many players would just as soon overlook these questions, believing they detract from the fun of the game.There’s nothing wrong with that. For groups that want to address these issues, however, the Book of Exalted Deeds opens the way. At the same time, it presents a whole host of new opportunities for player characters of good alignment and righteous conviction: new feats, spells, prestige classes, magic and mundane items, and rulestohelpaddressthesituationstheyface.Thesegoodiesaren’t just for the cleric and paladin, either—characters who some- times are the sole voices of morality in an adventuring party. While paladins and good clerics will certainly find much of use, characters of all classes can benefit from the new mate- rial in the Book of Exalted Deeds—if they are willing and able to walk the straight and narrow path of the exalted. There is one other reason this book is intended for mature audiences: it deals with certain aspects of real-world religion that might make some people uncomfortable. In the Book of Exalted Deeds, you’ll find archons with names drawn from Jewish, Christian, and Gnostic angelology, paladins with stig- mata, and monks who have sworn not to touch dead flesh or drink alco- hol. Among the holy relics discussed here are items of torture and execution that were used upon saints and still carry the touch of sanctified blood. To many people, these things are hardly in the same cate- gory as the appalling abominations found in the Book of Vile Darkness. To many of us with deeply held convictions about such matters, the subject is touchy at best. This book carries a warning because we’re relying on you to deal with your own reactions to this material in a mature manner: use what you like, adapt what doesn’t fit, and simply ignore what you don’t like. We’ve tried to present the material with sensitivity and appropriate gravity, and we trust you to use it in the same way. Author’s Note: I didn’t expect this book to require a dis- claimer like the one Monte put in front of the Book of Vile Dark- ness. I like to think I am a good person, and I strongly encourage others to be good people as well. Nevertheless, I feel the need to point out that this book attempts to define the morality of goodness in the context of the D&D® world, not the real world. While I’ve tried to explore some shades of gray in this book, the D&D universe is still much more black-and- white than the real world. I don’t advocate anyone killing some- one they think is evil, to give just one example. —James Wyatt INTRODUCTION Illus.byS.Belladin An exalted arcanist and his celestial familiar 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:44 PM Page 4
hat is good? Many characters are happy to rattle off long lists of sins they haven’t committed as evidence that they are good. The utter avoidance of evil, however, doesn’t make a character good—solidly neutral, per- haps, but not good. Being good requires a certain quality of temperament, the presence of virtues that spur a character, not just to avoid evil or its appearance, but to actively promote good. As expressed in the Player’s Handbook, “‘Good’ implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others.” Good is not nice, polite, well mannered, prudish, self-right- eous, or naïve, though good-aligned characters might be some of those things. Good is the awesome holy energy that radiates from the celestial planes and crushes evil. Good is selfless, just, hopeful, benevolent, and righteous. EXALTED DEEDS These acts of goodness are concrete, positive means by which the heroes of the world fight against the darkness of evil.They are the meat and drink of the exalted hero, and should serve as an inspiration for how to play a character of good alignment, suggesting not only common actions but also motivations and personality traits. HELPING OTHERS When a village elder comes to a good character and says, “Please help us, a dragon is threatening our village,” the good character’s response is not, “What can you pay?” Neutral characters might be that mercenary, and evil characters would certainly consider how to collect the most benefit from the situation. For a good character, however, helping others is a higher priority than per- sonal gain. A good character might ask a number of other ques- tions before leaping up from her seat and charging to the village’s aid: good characters aren’t necessarily stupid. A good character can be cautious, determin- ing how powerful the dragon is and whether addi- tional reinforcements are required, but she should never say, “Sorry, I’m out of my league. Go find another hero.” It’s just good sense to learn as much as possible about a foe before plunging into battle. Even more, a good character need not be naïvely trusting. Some might go to great lengths to verify that the elder’s story is true and not some villain’s attempt to lure them into a trap. All her caution or suspicion still doesn’t under- mine a good character’s responsibility to offer help to those in need. Altruism is the first word in the Player’s Handbook’s definition of good, and helping Illus.byD.Kovacs 5 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:44 PM Page 5
6 others without reward or even thanks is part of a good charac- ter’s daily work. So who are these “others” a good character is supposed to help? Again, the “good is not necessarily stupid” rule comes into play. Obviously, a good character is not required by her align- ment to help evil characters or those who are working at cross- purposes to a good character’s own goals. However, altruism often blends into mercy in situations where a villain asks for quarter and aid (see Mercy below). In any case, altruism is tem- pered by respect for life and concern for the dignity of sentient beings, and good characters balance their desire to help others with their desire to promote goodness and life. CHARITY Onespecificaspectofhelpingothersischarity:providingmaterial assistance to those in need, particularly those whose situation in life robs them of pride and respect. Offering food to the hungry, clothes to the naked, lodging to the homeless, care for orphans andwidows,andhopetothehopelessareamongthesimplestand yetmostprofoundofgooddeeds.Goodcharactersofferthissortof assistance to needy people without regard for their moral charac- ter and with the utmost concern for their dignity. The idea that creatures too weak to better themselves deserve their low position is a hallmark of evil dogma. Good characters reject this notion completely, recognizing that most poor and needy people are the victims of circumstance, not of their own weakness or failings. HEALING Healing wounds, removing disease, and neutralizing poison are a concrete embodiment of a good character’s respect for life. These deeds are not inherently good, since they can be per- formed selfishly or in the interests of evil. Even so, healing magic involves positive energy, which is closely linked to holy power. Many good characters devote their lives to healing as an expression of their morality. Pelor is a god of healing, and his clerics with the Healing domain make it their mission to share Pelor’s beneficence with others through healing. Even paladins, whose mission is primarily to smite evildoers, have the innate ability to heal wounds and remove disease as a reflection of their pure goodness. A character devoted to healing views the power to heal as a gift of celestial powers and is generally careful never to use that gift in a way that would cheapen or taint it—by heal- ing evil characters, for example. On the other hand, some view healing as a means of grace, believing that every cure light wounds cast on a blackguard cannot help but lead the villain closer to repentance and redemption. PERSONAL SACRIFICE A good character doesn’t just help others or fight evil when it’s convenient for him to do so. Even the most generous altruism, when it comes without sacrifice or even serves one’s own self- interest, is neutral at best. A character committed to the cause of good champions that cause in any circumstance, often at great personal risk or cost. Forfeiting any claim on a reward for one’s deeds is a simple form of sacrifice touched upon in the previous section. Volun- tarily donating money, goods, or even magic items to a temple, charitable institution (an orphanage or aid society), or other organization is another financial sacrifice often practiced by good characters. Exceptionally virtuous characters might swear sacred vows, forever sacrificing the enjoyment of some worldly pleasure—alcohol or stimulants, sex, or material possessions— or course of action, including violence. True heroes of right- eousness, all too often, sacrifice their own lives to save the lives of others. WORSHIPING GOOD DEITIES The deities of good are the highest exemplars of the principles of virtue, righteousness, and purity. By offering them worship, sacrifice, and service, good characters cultivate their own per- sonal virtue, assist the cause of good in concrete ways (support- ing the charitable work of the church and strengthening the clerics and paladins who serve as the deity’s agents), and extend the deity’s reach in the world. Not all good characters worship good deities. Some serve neutral deities like St. Cuthbert, Obad-Hai, or Olidammara, while others put the claims of good above the dogma of any deity. Nevertheless, virtually all good characters are willing to cooperate with the churches of good deities, recognizing them as allies with a common cause. Unlike evil deities, good deities usually have temples and shrines in open, public places—often at or near the center of bustling cities. In fact, the worship of good deities is one of the forces that often helps to cement humanoid communities together, serving to unite the populace in a common activity and a common set of ideals.This is particularly common among nonhuman races of good alignment, including halflings, CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD EXALTED DEEDS AND VILE DARKNESS Your gaming group will make the best use of this book if your DM, at least, also has a copy of the Book of Vile Darkness. Nothing in here requires you to have another book, but a party of exalted player characters shines brightest when pitted against truly vile villains. Some of the spells, feats, items, and other offerings in this book are specifically designed to coun- teract similar bits of vileness. The spell ease pain was written specifically with angry ache in mind, for example. However, they all have broad enough application that you can use them even without another book (since, in the case of ease pain, a number of other spells and effects create pain). The Book of Vile Darkness includes an appendix concerning evil player characters. If you are part of a campaign with evil player characters (PCs), then the function of this book might shift somewhat. In that case, the Book of Exalted Deeds becomes a source of opponents and enemies—good creatures to fight and good spells for those good nonplayer characters (NPCs) to cast against your characters. That’s a perfectly fine use of this book. On the other hand, if all the new tricks—spells, feats, prestige classes—in Book of Vile Darkness tempted you to explore evil characters, then have a look at the material in Book of Exalted Deeds. Maybe you’ll be inspired to return to the side of good! pqqqqrs pqqqqrs 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:44 PM Page 6
dwarves, and elves, where good alignment is the norm and a single deity often claims the allegiance of an entire community. However, it is common for even human cities to be drawn together in the worship of Pelor, who commands at least the respect of neutral citizens as well as good. Of course, in evil cul- tures, the worship of good deities can be both a crime and an act of rebellion. CASTING GOOD SPELLS Good spells alleviate suffering, inspire hope or joy, use the caster’s energy or vitality to help or heal another, summon celes- tials, or channel holy power. Particularly in the last instance, good spells might be just as destructive—at least to evil crea- tures—as a fireball. Not all good spells involve only sweetness and light. Good spells don’t have any redemptive influence on those who cast them, for better or worse. An evil wizard who dabbles in a few good spells, most likely to help him achieve selfish ends, does not usually decide to abandon his evil ways because he’s been purified by the touch of the holy. On the other hand, there are certain spells whose sanctified nature demands a con- crete, physical sacrifice from the caster (see Sanctified Magic in Chapter 6). No character can draw upon such holy magic without being changed for the better as a result. MERCY For good characters who devote their lives to hunting and exter- minating the forces of evil, evil’s most seductive lure may be the abandonment of mercy. Mercy means giving quarter to enemies who surrender and treating criminals and prisoners with com- passion and even kindness. It is, in effect, the good doctrine of respect for life taken to its logical extreme—respecting and honoring even the life of one’s enemy. In a world full of enemies who show no respect for life whatsoever, it can be extremely tempting to treat foes as they have treated others, to exact revenge for slain comrades and innocents, to offer no quarter and become merciless. A good character must not succumb to that trap. Good char- acters must offer mercy and accept surrender no matter how many times villains might betray that kindness or escape from captivity to continue their evil deeds. If a foe surrenders, a good character is bound to accept the surrender, bind the prisoner, and treat him as kindly as possible. (See Mercy, Prisoners, and Redemption in Chapter 2 for more about the proper treatment of prisoners.) In general, it’s a good idea for the DM to make sure that the players aren’t punished unnecessarily for showing mercy to opponents. If every prisoner schemes to betray the party and later escapes from prison, the players quickly come to realize that showing mercy simply isn’t worth it. It’s fine for these frus- CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 7 A paladin must choose between destroying evil and honoring love. Illus.byM.Cavotta 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:45 PM Page 7
8 trations to arise once in a while, but if they happen every time, the players will rightly give up in frustration. FORGIVENESS Closely tied to mercy, forgiveness is still a separate act. Mercy means respecting the life of an enemy, treating him like a being worthy of kindness. Forgiveness is an act of faith, a willingness to believe that even the vilest evildoer is capable of change. Good characters are not enjoined to “forgive and forget” every time someone harms them. At the simplest level, forgiveness means abdicating one’s right to vengeance. On a deeper level, if an evil character makes an effort to repent, turn away from evil, and lead a better life, a good character is called upon to encour- age the reformed villain, let the past be past, and not to hold the character’s evil deeds against her. Forgiveness is essential to redemption. If those she has harmed refuse to forgive her, a character seeking to turn away from evil faces nothing but hatred and resentment from those who should be her new allies. Isolated from both her former allies and her former enemies, she nurses resentment and quickly slides back into her evil ways. By extending forgiveness to those who ask it, good characters actively spread good, both by encouraging those who are trying to turn away from evil and by demonstrating to evildoers that the path of redemption is possible. BRINGING HOPE If the most soullessly evil villains relish spreading despair and devouring every last shred of hope, it naturally follows that the cause of good involves rekindling hope in the face of despair. This might be the most nebulous of all good deeds, hard to define or measure, but it also might be the heart and essence of good. All the other good deeds discussed in this section, in addi- tion to their often concrete and physical benefits to people in need, have the additional intangible benefit of increasing hope. A man whose body is wasting away from disease actually has two illnesses: the physical disease that consumes his flesh and the despair that gnaws at his soul. Healing him not only heals his body, it also restores his lost hope. A woman who throws herself on a paladin’s mercy and turns from her evil ways strug- gles along the difficult road to redemption. The paladin’s mercy and forgiveness offer the most important assistance along that road: hope, a vision of the reward that lies ahead. Hope in its truest form is more than just a vague wish for things to be better than they are; it is a taste of things as they might be. When an exalted bard comes to a city that groans under the oppressive rule of a pit fiend, he may inspire hope by singing tales of liberation or by demonstrating force of arms against the pit fiend’s diabolic minions. But the best hope avail- able to the oppressed residents of the city is when the bard simply shows them kindness, thereby reminding them of what it was like to live under a more benign rule. He brings them together in community, whereas the devils have been turning them against each other, sowing distrust alongside despair. By experiencing a taste of kindness and freedom, however small, the citizens are inspired with hope. That hope empowers them to resist the devils, with or without the bard’s force of arms. REDEEMING EVIL Perhaps the greatest act of good one could ever hope to accom- plish is the redemption of an evil soul. Bringing an evil charac- ter to see the error of her ways not only stops her from preying on innocent victims, but helps her as well, winning her a place in the blessed afterlife of the Upper Planes instead of an eternity of torment and damnation in the Lower. While acts of charity and healing might help a person’s body, redeeming an evil char- acter helps her soul. Holding a sword to a captured villain’s throat and shouting, “Worship Heironeous or die!” is not a means of redemption. Sword-point conversion might be a useful political tool, but it is almost entirely without impact on the souls of the “converts.” Worse, it stinks of evil, robbing the victim of the freedom to choose and echoing the use of torture to extract the desired behavior. True redemption is a much more difficult and involved process, but truly virtuous characters consider the reward worth the effort involved. The process of redemption is described in Chapter 2: Variant Rules. Of course, good characters recognize that some creatures are utterly beyond redemption. Most creatures described in the Monster Manual as “always evil” are either completely irre- deemable or so intimately tied to evil that they are almost entirely hopeless. Certainly demons and devils are best slain, or at least banished, and only a naïve fool would try to convert them. Evil dragons might not be entirely beyond salvation, but there is truly only the barest glimmer of hope. On the other hand, a good character approaches every encounter with orcs, goblinoids, and even the thoroughly evil drow with heart and mind open to the possibility, however remote, that his opponents might some day be transformed into allies. Creatures that are “usually evil” can be redeemed. This is not to say that a good character’s first thought in an ambush should be, “How can I redeem these poor orcs?” However, if the ambushing orcs end up surrendering, there is ample opportu- nity to seek their redemption. CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD EXALTED VERSUS EPIC The words “epic” and “exalted” are similar in meaning as well as reminiscent of each other in sound. In the context of the D&D game, however, their meanings are completely unrelated to each other. Epic characters are those who have exceeded 20th level, entering territory beyond that explored in the Player’s Handbook. Exalted characters are simply those, of any level, who are devoted to the highest ideals of good (whether lawful, neutral, or chaotic in bent). Exalted characters may become epic, like any other character. Exalted deeds may often have an epic scope, without necessarily involving characters of epic level. The terms are distinct, and it’s important to remem- ber that the material in this book is applicable to characters of any level and their adventures. pqqqqrs pqqqqrs 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:45 PM Page 8
THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW The choice to follow the path of exalted deeds means picking one’s way among complicated moral issues and painful dilem- mas. It means questioning some of the common assumptions about what’s acceptable in the context of a D&D adventure. While the previous section outlined positive actions good char- acters can (and should) perform to improve the world and better the lot of those in it, this section discusses some of the dif- ficult choices and decisions that characters trying to live up to high ideals are likely to face when those ideals make contact with reality. ENDS AND MEANS When do good ends justify evil means to achieve them? Is it morally acceptable, for example, to torture an evil captive in order to extract vital information that can prevent the deaths of thousands of innocents? Any good character shudders at the thought of committing torture, but the goal of preventing thou- sands of deaths is undeniably a virtuous one, and a neutral char- acter might easily consider the use of torture in such a circumstance. With evil acts on a smaller scale, even the most virtuous characters can find themselves tempted to agree that a very good end justifies a mildly evil means. Is it acceptable to tell a small lie in order to prevent a minor catastrophe? A large catastro- phe? A world-shattering catastrophe? In the D&D universe, the fundamen- tal answer is no, an evil act is an evil act no matter what good result it may achieve. A paladin who knowingly commits an evil act in pursuit of any end no matter how good still jeopard- izes her paladinhood. Any exalted character risks losing exalted feats or other benefits of celestial favor if he com- mits any act of evil for any reason. Whether or not good ends can justify evil means, they certainly cannot make evil means any less evil. Some good characters might view a situation where an evil act is required to avert a catastrophic evil as a form of martyr- dom: “I can save a thousand innocent lives by sacrificing my purity.” For some, that is a sacrifice worth making, just as they would not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the same cause. After all, it would simply be selfish to let innocents die so a char- acter can hang on to her exalted feats. Unfortunately, this view is ultimately misguided.This line of thinking treats the purity of the good character’s soul as a com- modity (like her exalted feats) that she can just give up or sacri- fice like any other possession. In fact, when an otherwise good character decides to commit an evil act, the effects are larger than the individual character. What the character sees as a per- sonal sacrifice is actually a shift in the universal balance of power between good and evil, in evil’s favor. The consequences of that single evil act, no matter how small, extend far beyond the single act and involve a loss to more than just the character doing the deed. Thus, it is not a personal sacrifice, but a conces- sion to evil, and thus unconscionable. Good ends might sometimes demand evil means.The means remain evil, however, and so characters who are serious about their good alignment and exalted status cannot resort to them, no matter how great the need. Sometimes a situation might demand that a good character cooperate with an evil one in order to accomplish a worthy and righteous goal. The evil character might not even be pursuing the same goal. For example, a brief civil war has put a new ruling house in power in a drow city, and the new rulers start actively raiding the surface world. A party of good adventurers travels into the depths of the earth to stop the drow raids. At the same time, a party of evil drow loyal to the deposed house seeks to overthrow the new rulers and restore their house to its position of power. The two groups have different but mutually compati- ble goals, and it is possible—within certain limits—for them to cooperate with each other. However, the good characters must not tolerate any evil acts committed by an evil ally during the time of their alliance, and can’t simply turn a blind eye to such acts. They must ensure that helping the drow will put a stop to the surface raids, which might entail a level of trust the drow simply do not deserve. And of course they must not turn on their erstwhile allies when victory is in sight, betraying the trust the drow placed in them. Such a situation is dangerous both physically and morally, but cooperating with evil creatures is not necessarily evil in itself. VIOLENCE Violence is a part of the D&D world, and not inherently evil in the context of that world.The deities of good equip their heroes not just to be meek and humble servants, but to be their fists and swords, their champi- ons in a brutal war against the forces of evil. A paladin smiting a blackguard or a blue dragon is not committing an evil act: the cause of good expects and often demands that violence be brought to bear against its enemies. That said, there are certain limits upon the use of violence that good characters must observe. First, violence in the name of good must have just cause, which in the D&D world means primarily that it must be directed against evil. It is certainly pos- sible for a good nation to declare war upon another good nation, but fighting in such a conflict is not a good act. In fact, even launching a war upon a nearby tribe of evil orcs is not necessar- ily good if the attack comes without provocation—the mere existence of evil orcs is not a just cause for war against them, if the orcs have been causing no harm. A full-scale war would pro- voke the orcs to evil deeds and bring unnecessary suffering to both sides of the conflict. Similarly, revenge is not an acceptable cause for violence, although violence is an appropriate means of stopping further acts of evil (as opposed to paying back evil already committed). The second consideration is that violence should have good intentions. Launching an incursion into orc territory is not a good act if the primary motivation is profit, whether that means clearing the treasure out of the ruins the orcs inhabit or claim- 9 CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:45 PM Page 9
10 ing their land for its natural resources. Violence against evil is acceptable when it is directed at stopping or preventing evil acts from being done. The third consideration is one of discrimination. Violence cannot be considered good when it is directed against noncom- batants (including children and the females of at least some races and cultures). Placing a fireball so that its area includes orc women and children as well as warriors and barbarians is evil, since the noncombatant orcs are not a threat and are compara- tively defenseless. Finally, the means of violence must be as good as the inten- tions behind it.The use of evil spells, obviously, is not good even when the target is evil. Likewise, the use of torture or other practices that inflict undue suffering upon the victims goes beyond the pale of what can be considered good. Within these limits, violence in the name of good is an acceptable practice in the D&D universe. RELATIONSHIPS Implicit in D&D’s definition of good—altruism, respect for life, and making sacrifices for the sake of others—is a sense that good is about maintaining a certain quality of relationship with others. A good character’s relationships with other characters should be built on a mutual respect for one another, whether that relationship involves the companionship of an adventuring party or the intimacy of a marriage. There is nothing inherently evil about human (or humanoid) sexuality, and being a good character doesn’t necessarily mean remaining a virgin. Certain religions and cultures in the D&D universe encourage or at least condone some people taking vows of chastity, but these are similar to vows of poverty or absti- nence—rooted in the belief that giving up the enjoyment of a good and natural thing can have positive spiritual benefits, not derived from an attitude that sex is evil. However, a good char- acter is bound to realize that sexuality is laden with traditions of exploitation and abuse, an area of interpersonal relationships where power dynamics are often manifested in unfortunate— really, evil—ways. A good character is not opposed to sex in principle, but will not condone exploitative or coercive rela- tionships such as prostitution, the use of slaves for sex, or sexual contact with children or others without the power to enter freely and willingly into a relationship of mutual respect. Also within the context of respectful relationships, good characters exercise caution in the use of compulsion magic to force others’ behavior. Spells such as dominate person, geas, and suggestion allow a caster to control another person, robbing that person of free will.This may not be an inherently evil act, but it certainly carries a tremendous ethical responsibility. Forcing anyone to commit an evil act, of course, is evil. Furthermore, a creature under compulsion should be treated the same as a help- less prisoner, since that creature no longer poses a threat, at least for the duration of the spell. Once an enemy is dominated, for example, he should not be killed, but shown mercy and treated the same as a prisoner who had willingly surrendered. (The same holds true for charmed and compelled creatures.) Perhaps the most important area of relationships for player characters involves a character’s interactions with the other members of the party. A good character respects the other characters, treats them fairly, and values their lives as highly as his own. That said, he is within his rights to expect the same treatment from them. Neutral characters are often joined to adventuring parties through bonds of friendship and loyalty to the other characters, and a good character respects those bonds and can trust a friend, even one who is not also good. Evil characters, however, typically join adventuring parties for purely selfish reasons. Paladins, of course, are prohibited from associating with evil characters, but other exalted PCs should also steer clear of evil companions, unless the evil character is attempting to reform herself and making progress toward neutrality at least. Good characters in parties that also include neutral charac- ters carry a weighty burden of responsibility.They should serve as examples of the good life, demonstrating the virtue and the rewards of following the righteous path. They must steer their neutral companions away from evil deeds, and ought to encour- age them toward goodness, as gently or as bluntly as the indi- vidual case requires. Good characters can be guilty by association with neutral characters who commit evil deeds, and simply turning a blind eye to the questionable acts of their com- panions is not an acceptable option. This important prohibition can cause a great deal of friction within an adventuring party. Some players build their charac- ters on the idea of being roguish, unsavory, perhaps a little brutal. If the paladin in the party is constantly getting in the way of that character’s approach to things, everyone’s enjoyment of the game is at risk. Many of these problems can be eliminated at the outset by working to achieve a consensus among the players regarding what kind of game you are going to play. That doesn’t mean that everyone needs to agree to play good characters and stick to the straight and narrow, but players who want to play neutral characters need to know up front what they’re getting into, and the whole group needs to decide to what extent ethical debate is going to be a part of every game session. If everyone’s happy with the paladin and the rogue constantly being at cross- purposes, and the group decides to make that a central part of the roleplaying experience, that’s fine—as long as the players treat each other with respect and the characters don’t split the party into two warring factions. DIVIDED LOYALTIES For better or for worse, a paladin is not just good: she is lawful good, sworn not just to uphold the principles of good but also bound by a code of conduct, and subject to local law as well. Many paladins are also members of a specific deity’s church, a knightly order of some sort, or both. At the best of times, these various loyalties—her code of conduct, her church’s laws, her order’s demands, the laws of her nation, and the abstraction of her alignment—are all in harmony, and her path is clear before her. When circumstances are not so ideal, she finds herself torn between conflicting demands: her superior in her knightly order commands her to kill a brutal murderer who has escaped punishment in court on a legal technicality, for example. Her personal code requires that she punish those that harm inno- cents, and this killer certainly falls in that category. However, her personal code also instructs her to respect legitimate author- ity, which includes both her knightly superior and the local law that has let the killer go free. The demands of her good align- ment suggest she should punish the wrongdoer, but the CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:46 PM Page 10
demands of her lawful alignment insist that she obey the judg- ment of the court. It is entirely possible that either her superior or the magistrate in the case is corrupt or even possessed. Whom does she obey? How does she sort out the conflicting demands of her loyalties? Paladins are by no means alone in this situation. Any charac- ter who tries consistently to do good eventually finds himself in a situation where different loyalties are in conflict. Chaotic good characters might care far less about a potentially corrupt or at least ineffectual court system, but they might have other personal standards or obligations that cause conflict in similar or different situations. In the end, however, many such con- flicts boil down to a question of priorities, and for a character who aspires to exalted deeds, good is the highest priority. In the example above, the murderer must at least be captured, if not killed, before he can kill again. If she has reason to suspect cor- ruption, either in the court or in her own order, the paladin must attempt to uncover it, though it might mean being cast out of her order, punished under local law, or both. Her palad- inhood and her exalted status remain intact, since she acted in the cause of good even when that required questioning the legitimacy of authority. Magistrates or knightly superiors who serve the cause of evil while posing as agents of good are not legitimate authority, and the paladin is right for exposing their corruption. What does a good character do when he is opposed by good? Two good nations might go to war, two good adventuring par- ties might be working toward opposite goals, or two good char- acters might become bitter enemies. As discussed under Violence, above, violence against good creatures is not good. When conflict arises, as it certainly will at times, good charac- ters must use every diplomatic means available to avoid the out- break of violence, whether between nations, smaller groups, or individuals. In the D&D universe, if one side’s goals are actually evil, a relatively simple commune spell can make that abundantly clear. Diplomacy might not always work, but the outbreak of violence is not just a failure of diplomacy, it is a failure of good and a victory for evil. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT When dealing with evildoers who are citizens of the realm specifically, or members of the civilized humanoid races (dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, half-orc, halfling, human) in general, it is often preferable to bring evildoers to justice in the form of legit- imate legal authority rather than meting out that justice oneself. When fighting through a dungeon, characters needn’t switch to subdual tactics when they suddenly encounter evil dwarf min- ions. But if those minions surrender, it is best to take the pris- oners back to town to stand trial for their crimes. When the adventure takes place in a city and the opponents are citizens of the city (rather than evil monsters from the sewers or deeper underground), subduing opponents and turning them over to the city watch is preferable to killing them and possibly being forced to stand trial for murder. The principles of good make certain demands about how criminals are treated. The death penalty for serious crimes is commonly practiced and widely accepted and does not qualify as evil, even if many good characters, firm in their belief that redemption is always possible, would rather see even the vilest criminals offered the opportunity to find their way to right- eousness during their imprisonment. Torturing prisoners, either to extract information or simply as a means of punish- ment, is unequivocally evil, however. This leads good characters (especially lawful good characters) into a dilemma: Is it wrong to turn a prisoner over to legitimate authorities knowing that the prisoner will be tortured and abused in captivity? Fortunately, the answer is straightforward, if sometimes difficult to implement. Yes, delivering a person over to be tortured, even if the person is thoroughly evil and the torturers are a legitimate authority, is evil. How to avoid being put in that position is a more difficult question, and one that depends greatly on the circumstances. BEING AHEAD OF YOUR TIME Heroic characters often end up at odds with their culture and society. The standards expected of good characters in D&D, especially those who lay claim to exalted status, bear much more similarity to modern sensibilities about justice, equality, and respect for life than to the actual medieval world that D&D is loosely based on, and that is quite intentional. It is certainly pos- sible that your campaign world might be a more enlightened place than medieval Europe—a place where men and women are considered equal, slavery is not practiced in any form, tor- ture and capital punishment are shunned, and the various human and humanoid races live together in harmony. In such a case, an exalted character can live in relative peace with her cul- ture, and focus her attention on slaying evil creatures in ruins and dungeons or rival, evil nations. On the other hand, your campaign world might more closely reflect the realities of life in Earth’s Dark or Middle Ages. Per- haps women are not viewed as men’s equals or even sentient beings in their own right, slavery is widespread, testimony from serfs is only acceptable if extracted through torture, and humans of a certain skin tone (let alone nonhumans) are viewed as demonic creatures. It is vitally important to remem- ber one thing: these factors don’t change anything else said in this chapter (or in the Book of Vile Darkness) about what consti- tutes a good or evil deed. Even if slavery, torture, or discrimina- tion are condoned by society, they remain evil. That simply means that an exalted character has an even harder road to follow. Not only must she worry about external evils like con- jured demons and rampaging orc hordes, she must also contend with the evil within her own society. In all likelihood, most human (and halfling) societies fall somewhere between the two extremes described above. In game terms, humans tend to be neutral, neither good nor evil. Human societies might tolerate a variety of evil practices, even if some humans find them distasteful. In such a circumstance, an exalted character is still at odds with the norms of her society and may occasionally find herself in conflict with it, but she can devote her time and attention to dealing with evil acts, either inside or outside her society, rather than trying to reform an entire nation or culture. In situations where a society’s practices put good characters at odds with it, a good character’s alignment is the strongest indi- cator of how she will deal with that conflict. 11 CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:46 PM Page 11
12 LAW, CHAOS, AND GOOD Lawful good characters by no means have a monopoly on good- ness.Though all paladins are lawful good, plenty of exalted char- acters of all character classes are chaotic good or neutral good, and they exemplify the ideals of good in the D&D universe no less than the paladin. There are differences between the goodness of a lawful good character and that of his chaotic good counterpart, just as there are marked dif- ferences between the archons and eladrins that embody those alignments in the celestial realms. Lawful Good characters possess a sense of disci- pline, honor, and community that other good charac- ters do not necessarily share. Lawful good characters are members of monastic or knightly orders, church hierarchies, or organizations devoted to righteous causes. They believe that morality can be legislated, and promote the establishment of just societies whose laws and customs inculcate good behav- ior in their citizens. Lawful good adventur- ers fight evil knowing that they have the support of legal systems behind them: they are bringing criminals to justice as well as opposing evil. In an evil culture or one that tolerates evil, lawful good characters are in a difficult situation. On the one hand, they abhor evil and cannot stand to see it institutionalized. On the other hand, they believe in legitimate author- ity and will not overthrow a kingdom because of evil practices within it. Lawful good characters usually try to work to change flawed social structures from within, using whatever political power is available to them rather than toppling those structures by force. Chaotic Good char- acters are strong-willed individualists who tolerate no oppression, even in the name of the common good. They usually work alone or in loose bands, rather than as part of some organization or hier- archy. They have no confidence in the ability of laws and social mores to train people in good behavior. Indeed, they have seen all too often how people hide behind rules and laws as an excuse for evil or at least irresponsible acts. While promoting a legal system that places few restrictions on individual freedom, chaotic good individuals look to other forces—religion, philos- ophy, or community, for example—to encourage good behavior and punish evil. Chaotic good adventurers fight evil because it’s evil, not because it’s illegal. In societies where evil practices are tolerated, chaotic good characters are the most likely rebels, and they have few hesita- tions about overthrowing the existing order if it means elimi- nating those evils. Neutral Good characters occupy an indistinct middle ground. They espouse the ideals of good and none other. As a rule, they don’t care whether good is imposed through laws and customs or encouraged by temples and philosophers; they simply want goodness to flourish. Legislating morality some- times works, and is good as far as it goes. When lawful good societies begin legislating every detail of their citi- zens’ lives, however, passing laws on subjects that have no bearing on good and evil, the neutral good citizens become impatient. They support law when it promotes good, but not law for its own sake. Similarly, they like the idea of personal freedom, but they’re not sure everyone should have it: too much freedom gives evildoers too much room to prosper. Like chaotic good adventurers, neutral good ones fight evil because it’s evil, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the backing of legal authority whenever possible. Neutral good characters in societies that tolerate evil resist evil to the extent they can, without actively working to over- throw the government. They protest injustice, sometimes engaging in civil disobedience since unjust laws are use- less and not binding in their view. PLAYING A HERO The preceding discussions of good deeds and careful balancing acts are most useful when put into context with the overall personality and career of a hero. The following examples detail an assortment of heroic archetypes that exemplify vari- ous aspects of virtue, morality, and good. They can be used to provide ideas for NPCs to serve as allies or companions of the player characters, as plot hooks or patrons, or as the focus of an adventure. In addition, they can serve as inspiration for players to use in shaping the background and personalities of their own exalted characters. (However, players should remember that these characters have gear appropriate for their level assuming that they are NPCs. Used as player characters, they—with the exception of Veshann—should have more gear.) THE RIGHTEOUS CRUSADER The righteous crusader is dedicated to fighting evil: slaying evil monsters, rooting out corrupt officials, or changing deplorable traditions and practices. He might be a paladin in plate armor leading the charge on the fields of war, or an aristocrat draped in finery speaking out against injustice in the halls of politics. In any case, he is proud, confident (often bordering on arro- gant), forceful, and pure. As an adventurer, the righteous crusader is a quixotic figure—a knight on a quest to rid the world of evil. He smites evil monsters, deposes evil tyrants, banishes evil demons, and hallows evil temples. He is a righter of wrongs, a cham- pion of the downtrodden, and a heroic figure in every sense of the word. CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD Illus.byR.Spencer The righteous crusader fights evil and aids the oppressed. 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:47 PM Page 12
Sample Righteous Crusader As a young man, Ulmo was caught picking the wrong pocket and imprisoned “until such time as he makes peace with the law.” After a jailhouse conversion to the faith of Heironeous, he petitioned for release to take part in a crusade to reclaim a holy land from evil forces. A friendly paladin agreed to watch over Ulmo, instruct him in the faith, and keep him from stray- ing too far, and together they joined a band of adventurers in the crusade. Ulmo followed his god’s dictates but never felt the same deep calling of his comrades until, in a moment of des- peration, he tried to mimic the righteousness of a cleric in order to cast raise dead from a scroll. As the holy power flowed from Heironeous through him to raise his friend, he felt his soul lifted up from its doubts and he immediately dedicated his life to following his god’s will. Better suited to contempla- tion than preaching, he abandoned his leather armor for a monk’s robe. He now spends his time meditating and striking down the enemies of Heironeous with precision, discipline, and certainty. Ulmo Lightbringer: Male halfling rogue 10/monk 5; CR 15; Small humanoid; HD 10d6+10 plus 5d8+5; hp 72; Init +7; Spd 40 ft.; AC 24, touch 24, flat-footed 24; Base Atk +10; Grp +11; Atk +19 melee (1d4+1, small +1 kama) or +19 ranged (1d4+1/×3, small +1 shortbow); Full Atk +19/+14 melee (1d4+1, small +1 kama) or +18/+18/+13 melee (1d4+1, small +1 kama) or +19/+14 ranged (1d4+1/×3, small +1 shortbow); SA flurry of blows, ki strike (magic), sneak attack +5d6; SQ evasion, fast movement, halfling traits, improved uncanny dodge, opportunist, purity of body, slow fall 20 ft., still mind, trapfinding, trap sense +3, uncanny dodge; AL LG; SV Fort +11, Ref +21, Will +13; Str 10, Dex 24, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Balance +14, Bluff +7, Climb +10, Decipher Script +5, Disable Device +13, Escape Artist +17, Hide +11, Jump +12, Knowledge (religion) +2, Listen +18, Move Silently +12, Open Lock +12, Search +10, Sleight of Hand +13, Spot +16, Tumble +14, Use Magic Device +12; Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Deflect ArrowsB , Dodge, Improved Feint, Improved Unarmed StrikeB , Mobility, Stunning FistB , Weapon Finesse. Flurry of Blows (Ex): Ulmo may use a full attack action to make one extra attack per round with an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon at his highest base attack bonus, but this attack and each other attack made in that round take a –1 penalty apiece. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it affects attacks of opportunity Ulmo might make before his next action. If armed with a kama, nunchaku, or siangham, Ulmo can make the extra attack either with that weapon or unarmed. If armed with two such weapons, he uses one for his regular attack(s) and the other for the extra attack. In any case, his damage bonus on the attack with his off hand is not reduced. Ki Strike (Su): Ulmo’s unarmed strike can deal damage to a creature with damage reduction as if the blow were made with a magic weapon. Sneak Attack (Ex): If Ulmo can catch an opponent when she is unable to defend herself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for an extra 5d6 points of damage. For com- plete details on the sneak attack ability, see the description of the slayer of Domiel in Chapter 5: Prestige Classes. Evasion (Ex): If Ulmo is exposed to any effect that normally allows him to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, he takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Halfling Traits (Ex): +2 morale bonus on saves against fear; +1 bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings. Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ulmo cannot be flanked except by a rogue of at least 14th level. Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, Ulmo can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as his attack of opportunity for that round. Purity of Body (Ex): Ulmo has immunity to all diseases except for magical diseases such as mummy rot and lycan- thropy. Slow Fall (Ex): When within arm’s reach of a wall, Ulmo can use it to slow his descent while falling. He takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. Still Mind (Ex): +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the enchantment school. Trapfinding (Ex): Ulmo can use a Search check to locate a trap when the task has a DC higher than 20. Trap Sense (Ex): Against attacks by traps, Ulmo gets a +3 bonus on Reflex saves and a +3 dodge bonus to Armor Class. Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ulmo can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dex- terity bonus to Armor Class even when caught flat-footed. Possessions: Small +1 kama, Small +1 shortbow, 50 masterwork arrows, ring of protection +2, wand of greater invisibility (24 charges), wand of mage armor (46 charges), boots of striding and springing, cloak of resistance +2, gloves of dexterity +4, periapt of wisdom +2. THE FATED CHAMPION Martyrdom is the inevitable doom of the fated champion. She knows that her passion for righteous deeds will lead to her death, and so all that she does is tinged with a melancholy fatal- ism. At times, she might speak glowingly about the great reward that certainly awaits her and her companions in the celestial realms, but at other times she focuses on the inevitability of her doom. Her heroism is undiminished by her certainty that it will cause her death, however, and she is capable of truly astonishing acts of valor performed with no regard for her own safety. The fated champion takes on only the most dangerous quests. If a holy artifact or relic needs to be recovered from the prison plane of Carceri, the fated champion attempts it. If need be, she stays behind while her friends carry the relic through a gate leading home, making sure they are not followed before the gate closes even though it means she is trapped there forever. Sample Fated Champion The youngest child of a noble family, Regina was raised in a peaceful abbey dedicated to Pelor, but early in her life she demonstrated far more interest in the martial path. The gentle scholars of the abbey tried at first to restrain her violent ten- dencies, then sent her to live with an order of warriors devoted to Raziel. There she found her true calling as a soldier in a holy war against a demonic cult. While she derives great satisfaction from the good works she performs, she has lost too many allies and friends to believe that any other fate awaits her than death. Her ultimate goal is to die a good death—not gurgling on the 13 CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:47 PM Page 13
14 end of a demonic blade while her companions fall all around her, but heroically, righteously, honorably. If she is to die, and she knows she must, she wants her death to bring salvation to others. Regina: Female human fighter 10/sword of righteousness* 3; CR 13; Medium humanoid; HD 10d10+20 plus 3d8+6; hp 99; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 24; Base Atk +13; Grp +18; Atk +20 melee (1d10+8/17–20, +1 holy bastard sword) or +15 ranged (1d8+5, masterwork composite longbow [+5 Str bonus]); Full Atk +20/+15/+10 melee (1d10+8/17–20, +1 holy bastard sword) or +15/+10/+5 ranged (1d8+5, masterwork composite longbow [+5 Str bonus]); SA —; SQ —; AL LG; SV Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +7; Str 20, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8. *New prestige class described in Chap- ter 5 of this book. Skills and Feats: Climb +13, Intimidate +15, Jump +13, Sense Motive +6, Swim +5; Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bas- tard sword), Holy Subdual*, Improved Critical (bastard sword), Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Sacred Vow*, Servant of the Heavens*, Subduing Strike*, Vow of Abstinence*, Vow of Purity*, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Specializa- tion (bastard sword). *New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book. Possessions: Belt of giant strength +2, +1 holy bastard sword, +2 full plate, +2 large heavy steel shield, masterwork composite longbow (+5 Str bonus), 50 normal arrows, 10 silvered arrows, 10 cold iron arrows, 10 adamantine arrows, cloak of resistance +1. THE BENEVOLENT HEALER The benevolent healer is a kindly soul devoted to helping others—often a healer in the literal sense, a cleric boasting a full complement of healing spells. Alternatively, she might be a bard who uses her music to inspire and uplift, a druid who tends the plants and animals in a peaceful grove, or an adventuring sorcerer who concentrates on protective spells to enhance her companions’ abilities. She is generally not a front- line fighter, and often refuses to participate in combat at all, unless it is to heal wounded comrades so they can rejoin the fray. She has a humble attitude and a gentle demeanor. The benevolent healer goes on adventures not to earn glory or amass treasure, though money has great power to help and heal. Rather, she is led to adventure out of her sense of concern for others—often her adventuring companions, who are the primary recipients of her healing talents. She might also take up a quest to find a magical cure for a supernatural disease afflicting a town, help to hunt down a lycanthrope that has been terroriz- ing a village (seeking his cure, not his death), or join a quest to find a relic to revitalize a blighted land. Sample Benevolent Healer As a young girl, Tasthania Silvershade lost her family—indeed, her whole village—to a band of marauding orcs. She was play- ing alone in the nearby woods when the orcs descended on the village and obliterated it. When she returned to the village, she discovered a unicorn moving slowly among the smol- dering ruins, looking for any survivors it might be able to heal. The only survivor Tasthania and the unicorn found, however, was a young orc warrior. Tasthania wanted to kill him, but the unicorn stayed her hand and healed the orc’s wounds. Tasthania fumed while the orc fled. Years later, as Tasthania reached adulthood and began her walk on the druid’s path, she was ambushed in the woods by another orc band. The leader of that band, however, recog- nized her and called off the attack, for he was the same warrior that she and the unicorn had healed and freed. Sworn now to the ways of peace, Tasthania counts a number of orcs among her friends, and she views the redemption of orcs as her particular mission of healing in the world. She also continues to work side by side with the unicorn to heal the creatures that dwell in the wood. Tasthania Silvershade: Female elf druid 7; CR 7; Medium humanoid; HD 7d8+7; hp 38; Init +2; Spd 30; AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 18; Base Atk +5; Grp +4; Atk +4 melee touch (spell) or +6 ranged touch (spell); SA —; SQ animal companion, calming aura, elf traits, link with companion, nature sense, resist nature’s lure, share spells, shatter weapons, trackless step, wild empathy, wild shape (Small or Medium animal 3/day), woodland stride; AL NG; SV Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +10; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 13. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Diplomacy +15, Heal +14, Knowledge (nature) +12, Listen +6, Search +2, Spot +6, Survival +6; Sacred Vow*, Vow of Nonviolence*, Vow of Peace*. *New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book. Calming Aura (Su): Tasthania is constantly surrounded by a calming aura to a radius of 20 feet. Creatures within the aura CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD Illus.byG.Kubic A benevolent healer need not be a cleric. 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:47 PM Page 14
must make a DC 14 Will save or be affected as by the calm emo- tions spell. Creatures who leave the aura and reenter it make new saving throws. A creature that makes a successful saving throw and remains in the aura is unaffected until it leaves the aura and reenters. Elf Traits (Ex): Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects; +2 bonus on saves against enchantments; entitled to a Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door. Link with Companion (Ex): Tasthania can handle her animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, with a +4 bonus on wild empathy and Handle Animal checks made while dealing with that animal. Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): Tasthania gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey. Share Spells (Ex): Tasthania may have any spell she casts on herself also affect her animal companion if the latter is within 5 feet at the time. She may also cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion. Shatter Weapons (Su): If a creature strikes Tasthania with a manufactured weapon, the weapon must immediately make a DC 14 Fortitude save or shatter against her skin, leaving her unharmed. Trackless Step (Ex): Tasthania leaves no trail in natural sur- roundings and cannot be tracked. Wild Empathy (Ex): Tasthania can improve the attitude of an animal in the same way a Diplomacy check can improve the attitude of a sentient being. She rolls 1d20+8, or 1d20+4 if attempting to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. Wild Shape (Su): Tasthania can change into a Small or Medium animal and back again three times per day, as per the polymorph spell. Woodland Stride (Ex):Tasthania may move through natural undergrowth at normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Druid Spells Prepared (6/5/4/3/2; save DC 14 + spell level or DC 18 + spell level for nondamaging spells): 0—create water, cure minor wounds, detect poison, guidance, resistance, virtue; 1st—calm animals, cure light wounds, entangle, eyes of the avoral*, obscuring mist; 2nd—charm person or animal, delay poison, lesser restoration, warp wood; 3rd—cure moderate wounds, neutralize poison, remove disease; 4th—blinding beauty*, cure serious wounds. *New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book. Possessions: Cloak of resistance +1, +1 hide armor, periapt of Wisdom +2. Thuk, Tasthania’s Animal Companion: Male boar; CR —; Medium animal; HD 5d8+18; hp 40; Init +0; Spd 40 ft.; AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18; Base Atk +2; Grp+5; Atk +5 melee (1d8+4, gore); Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+4, gore); SA ferocity; SQ evasion, scent; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4. Skills and Feats: Listen +7, Spot +5; Alertness, Toughness. Ferocity (Ex): Thuk is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty, even while disabled or dying. Evasion (Ex): If Thuk is exposed to any effect that normally allows it to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Scent (Ex): Can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. THE HOLY TEACHER The holy teacher is devoted to the practice of sharing his virtue with others. He might be a teacher in the traditional sense: a scholar who imparts factual knowledge to others, perhaps instructing them in the doctrines of a good religion or the pre- cepts of a celestial order. Or he might be a cleric or other pious individual who teaches in a moral sense, exhorting others to follow the righteous path. Or perhaps he leads by example, the force of his personality drawing others along the path he him- self walks. The holy teacher is drawn to adventures that allow him the opportunity to teach—even if the only pupils are his own adventuring companions. He might be drawn along as a guide or advisor to a party on an important quest for the cause of good, particularly if that quest deals with ancient lore that falls within his specialty or involves dangerous moral temptation. He also often adventures in order to broaden his own knowledge. Sample Holy Teacher At the age of six, Veshann saw a trumpet archon, and the sight changed his life. He was so impressed with the celestial’s right- eous majesty, so taken with its unearthly beauty, and so drawn to the virtue it embodied that he became utterly fascinated with the Seven Heavens, seeking to learn all he could about the origins of this awesome creature. Now twenty-one, Veshann is no less obsessed with the Heavens, and he is well on his way to access- ing the mysteries of the Illuminated Heaven, the highest reaches of Celestia. While progressing on his personal path toward enlightenment, however, he tries to live his life as a model for others to follow, particularly the rag-tag lot of adventurers he travels with.Veshann is neither brilliantly intelligent nor deeply wise, but his personality makes him a natural exemplar and leader, and he shares his own experience of the life of virtue in lieu of passing on any real knowledge or insight. He is happy to leave theology to scholars and piety to priests, while guiding others toward righteousness and perfection by example. Veshann: Male human sorcerer 9/celestial mystic* 4; CR 13; Medium humanoid; HD 9d4+27 plus 4d4+12; hp 73; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 21; Base Atk +6; Grp +7; Atk +9 melee (1d6+3, quarterstaff); Full Atk +9/+4 melee (1d6+3, quarterstaff); SA exalted strike +2; SQ blessing of the golden heaven, blessing of the silver heaven, damage reduction 5/magic, empathic link, endure elements, energy resistance 5, greater sustenance, lantern archon familiar, mind shielding, share spells, sustenance; AL LG; SV Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +13; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 22. *New prestige class described in Chapter 5 of this book. Skills and Feats: Concentration +10, Diplomacy +8, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Knowledge (religion) +8, Listen +3, Spellcraft +13, Spot +3; Celestial Familiar*B , Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Holy RadianceB , Nimbus of LightB , Purify Spell, Sacred Vow*, Servant of the Heavens*B , Spell Penetration, Stigmata*B , Vow of Abstinence*B , Vow of Poverty*. *New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book. 15 CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:48 PM Page 15
16 Blessing of the Silver Heaven (Su): Veshann has electricity resistance 10 and receives a +2 sacred bonus on saving throws against disease, poison, and petrification. In addition, a magic circle against evil effect (caster level 13th) always surrounds him. Blessing of the Golden Heaven (Su): Veshann is immune to death spells and magical death effects. Empathic Link (Su): Veshann can communicate telepathi- cally with his familiar at a distance of up to 1 mile. He has the same connection to an item or a place that the familiar does. Endure Elements (Ex): Veshann is immune to the effects of being in a hot or cold environment (conditions between –50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit). Exalted Strike (Su): Veshann receives a +2 enhancement bonus on all attack and damage rolls, and any weapon he wields is considered both magic and good for the purpose of overcom- ing damage reduction. Greater Sustenance (Ex): Veshann doesn’t need to breathe. Mind Shielding (Ex): Veshann is immune to detect thoughts, discern lies, and any attempt to discern his alignment. Share Spells (Ex): Veshann may have any spell he casts on himself also affect his familiar if the latter is within 5 feet at the time. He may also cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar. Sustenance (Ex): Veshann doesn’t need to eat or drink. Spells Known (6/8/8/7/7/6/4; save DC 16 + spell level): 0— arcane mark, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, light, message, ray of frost, read magic, resistance; 1st—detect evil, lantern light*, mage armor, magic missile, shield; 2nd—bear’s endurance, blur, scorching ray, see invisibility, yoke of mercy*; 3rd—deep slumber, dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt; 4th—greater invisibility, Otiluke’s resilient sphere, radi- ant shield*; 5th—hold monster, summon monster V; 6th—wages of sin*. Caster level 12th. *New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book. Possessions: quarterstaff, simple robe. Gleam, Veshann’s Familiar: Lantern archon; CR —; Small out- sider (extraplanar, good, lawful); HD 13; hp 36; Init +4; Spd fly 60 ft. (perfect); AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +7; Grp +2; Atk +7 ranged touch (1d6, light ray); Full Atk +7 ranged touch (1d6, 2 light rays); SA spell-like abilities; SQ aura of menace, damage reduction 20/evil, deliver touch spells, immu- nity to electricity and petrification, teleport, tongues, improved evasion, grant Alertness; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +8; Str 1, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +4, Diplomacy +4, Knowledge (the planes) +2, Listen +4, Sense Motive +4, Spot +4; Improved Initiative. Aura of Menace (Su): Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of Gleam must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or take a –2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for one day or until that crea- ture successfully hits Gleam. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by Gleam’s aura for 24 hours. Deliver Touch Spells (Su): Gleam can deliver touch spells for Veshann if the two are in contact when Veshann casts the touch spell. Grant Alertness (Ex): While Gleam is within arm’s reach, Veshann gains the Alertness feat. Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Gleam takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails. Spell-Like Abilities: At will—aid, detect evil, continual flame. Caster level 3rd. Teleport (Su): Gleam can use greater teleport at will, as the spell (caster level 14th), except that Gleam can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds of objects. Tongues (Su): Gleam can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th).This ability is always active. THE PEASANT HERO The peasant hero is a champion of the common folk who achieved great things as a result of his virtue. He might be a simple warrior or expert, he might start in an NPC class and later multiclass, or he might start off in an adventuring class, but in any event he never forgets his roots among the peasantry. He remains humble, but he is defiant of authority and refuses to be pushed around. As an adventurer, the peasant hero protects the common people from marauding monsters, cruel tyrants, bullying nobles, and vicious brigands. He frees slaves and shelters escaped slaves. He is a protector, a champion, and a hero-idol to the people he serves. Sample Peasant Hero Solarian Goblinslayer is a tough, sometimes defensive urban hood who has seen too much of life’s darker side. After spend- ing his youth hanging around with violent gangs, he was jolted away from a life of crime by the murder of his mentor. When his street-gang friends were vanquished by a rival gang, Solarian fled the city, carrying an ugly scar on his neck and deep wounds in his heart. He has a strong sense of justice, honor, and good- ness, and no tolerance for bullies. After a series of adventures in which he earned his “Goblinslayer” appellation, he discovered a new home and a new direction for his life in the temples of Pelor, and took up the life of a paladin. He is anything but a stereotypical paladin, preferring his old rapier and studded leather armor to the traditional plate armor and sword of the knightly warrior. Solarian Goblinslayer: Male human rogue 3/paladin 1; CR 4; Medium humanoid; HD 3d6 plus 1d10; hp 24; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +4; Grp +5; Atk +7 melee (1d6+2, +1 rapier) or +7 ranged (1d6+1, composite short bow [+1 Str bonus]); Full Atk +7 melee (1d6+2, +1 rapier) or +7 ranged (1d6+1, composite short bow [+1 Str bonus]); SA sneak attack +2d6, smite evil 1/day; SQ aura of good, detect evil, eva- sion, trapfinding, trap sense +1; AL LG; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Climb +7, Diplomacy +7, Disable Device +5, Escape Artist +7, Gather Information +7, Hide +7, Jump +3, Knowledge (religion) +1, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Open Lock +8, Sleight of Hand +4, Ride +6, Search +4, Spot +5,Tumble +8; Subduing Strike*, Toughness, Weapon Finesse. *New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book. CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:48 PM Page 16
Aura of Good (Ex): Solarian’s aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to that of a 1st-level cleric. Detect Evil (Sp): At will, as the spell of the same name. Evasion (Ex): If Solarian is exposed to any effect that nor- mally allows him to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, he takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Smite Evil (Su): Solarian may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. He adds +3 to his attack roll and deals an extra 1 point of damage. Smiting a creature that is not evil has no effect but uses the ability for that day. Sneak Attack (Ex): If Solarian can catch an opponent when she is unable to defend herself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for an extra 2d6 points of damage. For complete details on the sneak attack ability, see the descrip- tion of the slayer of Domiel in Chapter 5: Prestige Classes. Trapfinding (Ex): Solarian can use a Search check to locate a trap when the task has a DC higher than 20. Trap Sense (Ex): Against attacks by traps, Solarian gets a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class. Possessions: +1 studded leather, +1 rapier, 4 daggers, masterwork thieves’ tools, com- posite short bow (+1 Str bonus), 20 normal arrows, masterwork buckler, 3 flasks of holy water, silver holy symbol. THE REDEEMED VILLAIN The redeemed villain, as the phrase suggests, was once evil or at least a self-interested neutral. Some- how—through the direct action of an exalted character working for her conversion, or as a result of circum- stances and events—she turned from her old ways and adopted a good alignment. Perhaps she started off doing good deeds for selfish reasons. Even done for the wrong reasons, good deeds improve the person doing them, and eventually she began doing them for their own sake, finally becoming among the most virtuous of heroes. More than any other heroic type, the redeemed villain is sympathetic to those who still live in their evil ways, and willing to work toward their redemption as well as her own con- tinuing improvement. She might still carry a load of guilt for her past misdeeds and actively seek for- giveness, or she might quickly grow angry with anyone who would dare hold her past against her. She is often more rough around the edges than char- acters who were good all their lives, but is no less dedicated to exalted deeds now. On adventures, the redeemed villain shows the most interest in spreading the good news she has experienced, offering redemption to other villains but fighting fiercely when her attempts are met with violence. Some are much like righteous crusaders, smiting evil monsters wherever they are found, while others focus their attention primarily on humanoid vil- lains, foiling their vile schemes and hoping to guide them to change their ways. Sample Redeemed Villain Thaqualm is an extraordinary redeemed villain: a mind flayer who has joined the cause of good. Living deep underground on the outskirts of a mind flayer city, Thaqualm was a victim of a small-scale slave rebellion: Her duergar thralls broke free of her mental control and forced her into three years of wretched servi- tude, her mental powers suppressed and her body at the verge of starvation. Finally, she was liberated—by an adventuring party from the surface who killed her duergar masters but spared the pathetic illithid, showing her kindness unlike any- thing she had ever experienced before. Eventually, she joined the adventurers and traveled with them for two years. She joined a monastic order, and has now retired to a life of contemplation. She has sworn a vow of nonviolence and works hard to redeem any evil humanoids she may encounter, hoping to set them on the same course that has proven so rewarding for her. Thaqualm: Female mind flayer monk 8; CR 16; Medium aberration; HD 8d8+16 plus 8d8+16; hp 104; Init +9; Spd 50 ft.; AC 34, touch 25, flat- footed 29; Base Atk +12; Grp +15; Atk +17 melee (1d4+3, tentacle) or +15 melee (1d10+3, unarmed strike); Full Atk +17 melee (1d4+3, 4 tentacles) or +15/+10/+5 melee (1d10+3, unarmed strike) or +14/+14/+10/+5 melee (1d10+3, unarmed strike); SA extract, improved grab, ki strike (magic, lawful), mind blast, psionics; SQ darkvision 60 ft., evasion, fast movement, purity of body, slow fall (40 ft.), spell resistance 25, still mind, telepathy 100 ft., wholeness of body; AL LG; SV Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +17; Str 16, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 20, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Balance +15, Bluff +7, Con- centration +21, Diplomacy +4, Hide +10, Intim- idate +9, Jump +13, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (religion) +13, Listen +18, Move Silently +9, Spot +14, Tumble +15; Combat Casting, Combat ReflexesB , Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved DisarmB , Sacred Vow*, Sanc- tify Ki Strike*, Stunning FistB , Vow of Nonviolence*, Vow of Obedience*, Weapon Finesse. *New feat described in Chapter 4 of this book. Extract (Ex): If Thaqualm begins her turn with all four ten- tacles attached and wins a grapple check, she auto- matically extracts the opponent’s brain, instantly killing that creature. This power is useless against constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and undead. Extraction is not instantly fatal to foes with multiple heads, such as ettins and hydras. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Thaqualm must hit a Small, Medium, or Large creature with her tentacle attack. She can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without pro- voking an attack of opportunity. If she wins the grapple check, she establishes a hold and attaches the tentacle to the oppo- 17 CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD Illus.byR.Spencer More than anyone, a redeemed villain understands that no soul is beyond salvation. 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:48 PM Page 17
18 nent’s head. Thaqualm can grab a Huge or larger creature, but only if she can somehow reach the foe’s head. If Thaqualm begins its turn with at least one tentacle attached, she can try to attach its remaining tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or an Escape Artist check, but Thaqualm gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent’s turn. Ki Strike (Su):Thaqualm’s unarmed strike can deal damage to a creature with damage reduction as if the blow were made with a magic and lawful weapon. Mind Blast (Sp): This attack is a cone 60 feet long. Anyone caught in this area must make a DC 16 Will save or be stunned for 3d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell. Psionics (Sp): At will—charm monster (DC 16), detect thoughts (DC 14), levitate, plane shift, suggestion (DC 15). Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. Evasion (Ex): If Thaqualm is exposed to any effect that nor- mally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Purity of Body (Ex): Thaqualm has immunity to all diseases except for magical diseases such as mummy rot and lycanthropy. Slow Fall (Ex): When within arm’s reach of a wall,Thaqualm can use it to slow her descent while falling. She takes damage as if the fall were 40 feet shorter than it actually is. Still Mind (Ex): +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the enchantment school. Telepathy (Su): Thaqualm can communi- cate telepathically with any crea- ture within 100 feet that has a language. Wholeness of Body (Su): Thaqualm can cure up to 16 hp of her own wounds each day, and she can spread this healing out over several uses. Possessions: Bracers of armor +6, monk’s belt, ring of protection +4. EXALTED CHARACTERS A chaotic good barbarian swinging a holy greataxe is a very dif- ferent character than a chaotic good sorcerer wielding holy arcane power. Members of different character classes follow the exalted path in different ways. The following section describes some of those ways, including exalted feat choices and prestige class options for characters of each basic class. THE EXALTED BARBARIAN Not at all the oxymoron some might think, an exalted barbarian is chaotic good by necessity. He stands opposed to the evil in decadent urban society, the tyranny of evil rulers, and the machinations of devils. An exalted barbarian’s rage is an earthly manifestation of celestial wrath against the forces of evil. His greatest challenge is ensuring that, in the heat of his rage, he does not commit an evil action by mistake. Exalted Feat Choices: Knight of Stars, Quell the Profane, Resounding Blow, Righteous Wrath, Sanctify Martial Strike. Prestige Class Options: champion of Gwynharwyf, risen martyr, skylord, sword of righteousness. THE EXALTED BARD While many bards are roguish scoundrels, the exalted bard is an artiste who is attuned to the music of the heavens and the poetry of creation. Often closely aligned with the eladrins, exalted bards are perfectly suited to subduing opponents with- out killing them by using their powerful enchantments. They also command the power of human emotion, inspiring hope and courage in their allies. Exalted bards are perhaps the ulti- mate diplomats, combining skill and natural Charisma to avert conflict as often as not. Exalted Feat Choices: Favored of the Companions or Knight of Stars, Holy Radiance, Nimbus of Light, Nymph’s Kiss, Sanctify Martial Strike, Words of Creation. Prestige Class Options: apostle of peace, exalted arcanist, risen martyr, stalker of Kharash, troubadour of stars, wonderworker. THE EXALTED CLERIC By necessity, an exalted cleric serves a good deity—Heironeous, Ehlonna, Pelor, Kord, Moradin, Yondalla, Garl Glittergold, Bahamut, or perhaps one of the deities described in this chapter. Though good-aligned clerics might worship the lawful neutral St. Cuthbert or the chaotic neutral Olidammara, good clerics of neutral deities are not wholly devoted to good and thus gener- ally not permitted to gain exalted feats. Exalted clerics are the perfect servants of good deities, living extensions of their deities’ will. Their understanding of good is filtered through their deities’ dogma and priorities: a cleric of Heironeous is primarily interested in fighting evil, while a cleric of Pelor spends much effort in helping and healing the common folk. Both are equally good, equally exalted, and they might even be of the same alignment, but their priorities differ. Their faith is the lens through which they view both the world and the demands of the exalted life. Exalted Feat Choices: Consecrate Spell Trigger, Exalted Turn- ing, Favored of the Companions, Holy Radiance, Holy Sub- dual, Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Purify Spell Trigger, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant of the Heavens, Words of Creation. Prestige Class Options: apostle of peace, celestial mystic, defender of Sealtiel, emissary of Barachiel, fist of Raziel, prophet of Erathaol, risen martyr, sentinel of Bharrai, wonderworker. THE EXALTED DRUID If exalted bards are closely associated with the eladrins, then exalted druids are linked to the bestial-seeming guardinal celes- tials. Like the guardinals, exalted druids are both devoted to good and intimately familiar with the natural world.They value close friendships—whether with adventuring allies, animal companions, or fey creatures—and particularly hate evil crea- tures that despoil nature. Exalted Feat Choices: Animal Friend, Exalted Companion, Exalted Wild Shape, Favored of the Companions, Holy Radi- CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD Illus.byW.Reynolds 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:49 PM Page 18
ance, Nimbus of Light, Nymph’s Kiss, Sanctify Martial Strike, Sanctify Natural Attack. Prestige Class Options: apostle of peace, beloved of Valarian, lion of Talisid, risen martyr, sentinel of Bharrai, skylord, swanmay, wonderworker. THE EXALTED FIGHTER Not every soldier of righteousness is a paladin. Many fighters march into battle in good’s name. Without the divine power of a paladin to support them, exalted fighters rely primarily on the martial prowess reflected in their extensive selection of combat feats, and only secondarily on any supernatural exalted feats they might acquire. Particularly to neutral good and chaotic good characters, the way of the fighter has distinct advantages over the paladin’s difficult calling. Exalted Feat Choices: Favored of the Companions, Fist of the Heavens, Holy Subdual, Knight of Stars, Quell the Profane, Resounding Blow, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant of the Heavens. Prestige Class Options: anointed knight, defender of Sealtiel, risen martyr, skylord, sword of righteousness, vassal of Bahamut. THE EXALTED MONK Disciplined ascetics who devote themselves to spiritual perfec- tion, good monks are natural candidates for the extreme demands of the exalted path. It is a small step from a monk’s unarmed and unarmored fighting style to a vow of poverty that rejects all accoutrements of battle. Likewise, many monks prac- tice ascetic extremities that lead naturally into other lifelong sacred vows. Good monks stand easily beside paladins among the finest examples of exalted characters. Exalted Feat Choices: Holy Ki Strike, Fist of the Heavens, Nimbus of Light, Resounding Blow, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Ki Strike, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant of the Heavens,Touch of Golden Ice. Prestige Class Options: celestial mystic, defender of Sealtiel, ini- tiate of Pistis Sophia, risen martyr, sword of righteousness. THE EXALTED PALADIN If an exalted barbarian seems a bit like an oxymoron, then “exalted paladin” probably sounds redundant. All paladins, of course, are called to be exemplars of the lawful good alignment, and to the extent that they succeed, they are among the finest examples of exalted player characters as well. Exalted Feat Choices: Celestial Mount, Exalted Smite, Exalted Turning, Gift of Grace, Hands of a Healer, Holy Radiance, Nimbus of Light, Quell the Profane, Ranged Smite Evil, Resounding Blow, Sacred Vow, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant of the Heavens. Prestige Class Options: anointed knight, defender of Sealtiel, emissary of Barachiel, fist of Raziel, prophet of Erathaol, risen martyr, sword of righteousness, vassal of Bahamut. THE EXALTED RANGER Depending on their alignment, exalted rangers may end up sim- ilar in many ways to paladins, druids, or barbarians. Like druids, they are at home in the natural world (more so than in the lofty contemplation of the celestial planes), and are very down-to- earth in the figurative sense as well. For an exalted ranger, good is not an abstract cosmic principle, but very concretely mani- fested in how a person lives and treats others around him, whether sentient or not. Exalted rangers always choose favored enemies that are evil—they may have neutral opponents (such as lizardfolk), but cannot devote their extensive training to fighting opponents who are not actually evil. Exalted Feat Choices: Animal Friend, Exalted Companion, Nemesis, Nimbus of Light, Quell the Profane, Resounding Blow, Sanctify Martial Strike. Prestige Class Options: beloved of Valarian, defender of Sealtiel, lion ofTalisid, prophet of Erathaol, risen martyr, skylord, stalker of Kharash, swanmay, sword of righteousness. THE EXALTED ROGUE Exalted rogues, while they share the same class skills and abil- ities as their nongood kin, are as a rule not roguish in the descriptive sense. A lawful good rogue is as dependable as a paladin, and a chaotic good rogue might sing with the eladrin Court of Stars. Even lawful good rogues are not bound to an abstract and impractical code of honor that would limit their use of sneak attacks beyond the general limitations on vio- lence discussed earlier in this chapter.The use of sneak attacks is no more evil than the use of a bull rush or trampling maneu- ver: when engaged in a life-or-death struggle against the 19 CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD CELESTIAL MONSTER CLASSES The Savage Species sourcebook contains rules for treating monsters as character classes—an alternative system to the monster advancement system presented in the Monster Manual. Unlike other classes, a monster class has a maximum number of levels equal to the creature’s starting ECL. For example, a hound archon’s starting ECL is 11, so the hound archon monster class has 11 levels. As a monster attains a new level in its class, it becomes gradually more powerful (just as a member of any other class does) until it attains the maximum level in its class and thereby gains all of the abilities of the crea- ture described in the Monster Manual. When using the rules in Savage Species to create a character with one or more levels in a monster class, you can ignore level adjustment. This is replaced by your character’s monster class level. A monster character may not multiclass until it completes the full progression in its monster class. This rule keeps char- acters from gaining the benefits of a monster’s type and then quickly switching to a standard class. Appendix I in Savage Species includes various good-aligned monster classes such as centaurs, djinnis, and treants, as well as the following celestial monster classes: • Astral deva • Hound archon • Avoral guardinal • Lillend • Ghaele eladrin • Trumpet archon pqqqqrs pqqqqrs 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:49 PM Page 19
20 forces of evil, use tactics that help ensure your victory. That said, a rogue’s ability to deal sneak attack damage with a sub- dual weapon (a sap, or a normal weapon if the rogue has the Subduing Strike feat) makes her very well suited to capturing foes alive, showing the mercy that good demands. Exalted Feat Choices: Favored of the Companions, Holy Sub- dual, Knights of Stars, Nymph’s Kiss, Sacred Strike, Sanctify Martial Strike, Servant of the Heavens. Prestige Class Options: emissary of Barachiel, risen martyr, slayer of Domiel, stalker of Kharash, sword of righteousness. THE EXALTED SORCERER Some exalted sorcerers proudly claim their descent from metal- lic dragons, while others suggest that their powers come more directly from the celestial realm. Like wizards, exalted sorcerers bring arcane might to the fight against evil, much like paladins wielding staffs instead of swords.They generally eschew necro- mancy and avoid casting evil spells at all costs. Many exalted sorcerers learn to channel celestial energies with spells ranging from the 1st-level lantern light to the 9th-level blinding glory (described in Chapter 6: Magic), and some few (those who adopt the exalted arcanist prestige class) also learn to channel limited divine power as if they were clerics. Exalted Feat Choices: Celestial Familiar, Favored of the Com- panions, Holy Radiance, Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Stig- mata, Nymph’s Kiss, Sacred Vow, Servant of the Heavens, Words of Creation. Prestige Class Options: celestial mystic, exalted arcanist, prophet of Erathaol, risen martyr, sentinel of Bharrai, trouba- dour of stars, wonderworker. THE EXALTED WIZARD An exalted wizard appears as a awe-inspiring figure swathed in white robes, glowing with celestial energy, and radiating right- eous fury. Like sorcerers, many exalted wizards claim to have received their spells not from celestial ancestry, but from the libraries of the heavenly powers, so that they might use those spells in battle against evil.Their spell preferences echo those of exalted sorcerers. Exalted Feat Choices: Celestial Familiar, Favored of the Com- panions, Holy Radiance, Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Stig- mata, Nymph’s Kiss, Sacred Vow, Servant of the Heavens, Words of Creation. Prestige Class Options: celestial mystic, prophet of Erathaol, risen martyr, sentinel of Bharrai, wonderworker. SIN AND ATONEMENT The higher one’s standards, the easier it is to fall short of them. There are times in any campaign when players of good charac- ters make bad choices or are forced into a choice between two evils and end up committing the lesser. The dangers are great: paladins and good clerics might lose class abilities or spell access, and other characters could lose access to exalted feats. Depending on the severity of the transgression, good characters might become neutral or even evil, either in one cataclysmic fall or over the course of a long downward spiral. The powers of good would be hypocritical if they demanded that mortals offer forgiveness to one another while themselves withholding it from mortals who displease them.Therein is the blessing and assurance that all good creatures can cling to: there is no sin so great that it cannot be forgiven. However, just as when player characters extend forgiveness to villains, forgive- ness is predicated upon repentance. A character who has com- mitted an evil act cannot simply obtain an atonement spell and carry on as if nothing had happened. She must first make amends for her actions, at least trying to repair any damage she caused and offering sincere apologies to those who might still hold resentment against her. She must demonstrate a willing- ness to try harder in the future to avoid such actions, a real com- mitment to avoiding evil at all costs. In many cases, she must also perform an act of penance: a good deed that most likely has nothing to do with reparations to those she injured, but simply demonstrates her renewed commitment to good. With all these criteria met, the powers of good joyfully wel- come straying sheep who return to the fold, and an atonement spell subsequently cast can have its full effect: restoring a pal- adin’s class, restoring a cleric’s or druid’s spell powers, or restor- ing the benefits of exalted feats to any character. EXALTED ADVENTURES It is possible to take a party of exalted player characters and let them make their way through any D&D adventure. They are still D&D characters, even if their motivations might differ from those of many other characters and the abilities they bring to bear might be different as well. However, if an adventure doesn’t speak to their motivations, they might take it in a com- pletely different direction than the DM intended. Likewise, a campaign needs to address what matters to the characters, offer them opportunities to shine (in terms of both using the powers they have acquired and demonstrating their heroic righteous- ness), and provide them with truly evil opponents to face. This section, more than any other in this book, is designed with the Dungeon Master in mind. Nothing here need be off-limits to players’ eyes, but DMs in particular will find specific advice about how to craft adventures and campaigns that feature exalted characters to best effect. LET HEROES BE HEROES There are two sides to this maxim. On the one hand, don’t put player characters into situations where the only way to succeed is to be a scoundrel or a villain. On the other hand, let PCs do things that matter, that make a difference in the world and in the lives of its people. It is okay to put a mature group of players into a situation where they face a difficult choice between the right thing to do (from a moral and ethical perspective) and the easy thing to do. It is also okay to let them suffer a little bit, in the short term, for making the right choice for righteousness over reward. Good people rarely have it easy in life, and exalted characters may actually find themselves persecuted, hated, and reviled. You can force them to suffer setbacks in order to remain on the straight and narrow path of righteousness, but as a general rule, don’t force them to suffer devastating failure. This is a general rule, not a universal one: there may in fact be times when a glorious martyrdom for the entire party is an acceptable climax to an adventure or a campaign. If your play- CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 1:49 PM Page 20
ers are ready to start a new group of PCs, younger heroes who will eventually rise to vanquish the evil that claimed the lives of the saints gone before, or if you envision a period of time where every PC becomes a risen martyr in order to bring the campaign to a close, then let the characters find themselves facing a choice between certain death and ultimate corruption. It is hard to imagine a more spectacular and rivet- ing campaign event. If you are not planning such a dramatic turn, however, stick to the general rule: let their choices be dif- ficult but not deadly. Equally as important, let their choices and their actions matter. Don’t send exalted characters on dungeon crawl after dungeon crawl with no higher purpose than garnering as much loot as possible, “the better to fight evil monsters with.” Their confronta- tion with the forces of evil should not be random or haphaz- ard, and they shouldn’t quest after holy relics just so they can use them to smite the monster behind the next door. Characters built around a mission to combat evil don’t want to just combat it whenever they happen to break down a door and find an evil monster there. They want to foil nefarious plots, uncover dia- bolical cults, and slay not just evil monsters, but evil villains. They need to know that, when they purge a dungeon of every evil creature within, they have made a difference in the world. They have prevented future raids on the nearby village, stopped the cultists from calling their archdevil master to the world, or concretely tipped the cosmic balance in favor of good, at least for a time. Along the same lines, appeal to the PCs’ motivations—a fundamental rule of adventure design. Don’t offer a sizable 21 CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD Illus.byR.Spencer Good and evil battle to the death. 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 3:22 PM Page 21
22 financial reward to a group of PCs who have all sworn a vow of poverty. Better still, let a group of characters who might be strapped for cash show their true heroism by helping out when there’s no hope of reward. (Later, surprise them with treasure that more than meets their financial needs. They shouldn’t be good for the sake of the reward, but virtue can have rewards besides virtue itself.) Cast most adventures, if not every one, in terms of real conflict between good and evil, not just conflicts between people and monsters with lots of treasure involved. EXALTED HEROES NEED VILE FOES Much of the material in this book is designed specifically to address similar material in the Book of Vile Darkness. There are orders dedicated to the Celestial Paragons to combat the fiendish cults described there, beneficent spells designed to alleviate the effects of vile spells, and so on. You don’t need the Book of Vile Darkness to make satisfying adventures for exalted PCs, but truly vile villains help to create a sense of contrast that makes players feel that much more heroic. Exalted characters shouldn’t strug- gle to foil the plans of a vaguely sinister bureaucrat who plots to raise taxes in his province. Instead, they should fight the undead hordes ofYstan the Graylord while seeking to liberate the mentally enslaved soldiers that swell his army’s ranks, or quest to destroy the demon-pos- sessed blue dragon Enesstrere, who is gathering a demonic army to conquer all the tribes of the desert. A thoroughly evil villain provides a dramatic foil for the characters, a yardstick against which they can measure their own virtue. The ideal villain, in fact, is one whose life is strangely paral- lel to one or more of the PCs’: perhaps a character of similar birth and circumstances, who simply made wrong choices at key junctures in his life. If one of the PCs is a peasant hero who spent his youth mixed up with violent gangs but managed to rise above his origins and become a paladin, then an ideal villain would be one of his old buddies who has become a criminal overlord in the hero’s home city. Allow the player to see how the choices spelled out in his char- acter’s background, as well as the choices he made while playing the character, have made him the hero he is today, while differ- ent choices might have led him to the other end of the sword of justice. GET TO THE ROOTS Exalted characters tend to look at the big picture, or at least they should be encouraged in that direction. If a tribe of once-peace- ful lizardfolk has started conquering large stretches of human territory, exalted characters should wonder what caused the change in behavior, rather than just slaughtering hordes of neu- tral creatures. Perhaps a black dragon moved into their old ter- ritory, forcing them to relocate, and characters with enough patience and skill in Diplomacy can negotiate a peaceful settle- ment. On the other hand, perhaps a demonic cult has been actively recruiting among the lizardfolk, has converted or killed their leader and seized control of the tribe. Even in this case, the cause of good is better served by going straight to the top and unseating the corrupted leader, rather than simply slaughtering all the lizardfolk the characters can find. A campaign that features exalted characters should allow those characters ample opportunity to address the root causes of the problems they face, so that they can not only stop evil in its tracks, but also prevent it from ever regaining the same foothold. Rather than blindly striking wherever the many- headed hydra of evil should happen to rear its next ugly head, exalted characters should have a chance to root out its origin, even to strike at its heart, perhaps in a climactic, campaign- ending battle. BRINGING GOOD OUT OF EVIL Deities in the D&D universe are not omnipotent. They do not have control over everything that happens on the Material Plane, even events directly related to their portfolio. Mortals have free will—exemplified by the willful- ness of most player characters—and often choose to act in ways that are contrary to the bid- ding of one or more deities. If a deity wants events to unfold a certain way, she must react to the actions of mortals and try to shape events and circum- stances, through her mortal servants and through direct application of divine power, to turn those actions toward her own ends. A good Dungeon Master, rather than forcing his players along a certain course of actions and events, adapts the events of the adventure in response to their actions and brings the adventure back around to them. In the same way, the deities of good, unable to force mortals to be good, work to turn even the most evil actions mortals per- form around to good ends. As agents of good, many heroes find themselves in the situa- tion of bringing good out of evil.This is grim work, and even the most exalted characters loathe the idea that all they can do is clean up the messes caused by evil. It is important work, how- ever, for without it humans would quickly lose all faith in good- ness. When designing adventures for exalted characters, it is not enough that, after finding a village burned to the ground and its inhabitants raised as zombies to serve the evil necromancer, the PCs wipe out the zombie army and slay the necromancer.There must also be some opportunity for them to bring good out of the horrible tragedy of the village. Perhaps the players can hold up the example of the village to quarreling neighbor nations, inspiring them to put aside their differences and cooperate to help the PCs defeat the zombie army and kill the necromancer. Afterward, the two nations might sign a lasting peace accord in the ruins of the village, then work together to rebuild it in memory of the dead. CHAPTER1: THENATURE OFGOOD 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 3:22 PM Page 22
his chapter includes variant rules covering a variety of exalted topics, from channeling celestials to incorpo- rating voluntary poverty and nonviolence into a game that often is all about killing monsters and taking their stuff. These rules may or may not be suitable for your campaign, and your DM should give final approval on whether you may use them. CHANNELING Certain fiends are known for their ability to seize control of a creature or object, a phenomenon known as possession. Respect for the life and dignity of sentient creatures bars good creatures from usurping control of another in this manner. However, some celestials are content to exercise their power through a mortal form if the mortal host invites them to do so. Similar in many ways to fiendish possession, celestial channeling is an importantmeansbywhichtheforcesofgoodworkintheworld. Celestial channeling works in a manner similar to the Pos- sess Mortal divine salient ability that some deities have (as detailed in Deities and Demigods). In addition to deities, some celestials have the spell-like ability to invest mortals with their power in this fashion, and there are spells (channel celestial and channel greater celestial, both described in Chapter 6) that allow mortals to invite any celestial into their bodies in this way. Unlike fiendish possession, channeling works only if the mortal is willing. The celestial does not assume an ethereal form in preparation for possessing the mortal; it simply merges its own form with the mortal’s as part of its spell- like ability. As with possession, spells such as protection from good block celestial channeling, even if the spell’s target is willing to channel the celestial. Similarly, spells such as dismissal or dispel good, as well as special abilities that drive possessing spirits out of their victims, can work on the channeled celestial even if the mortal wants the celestial to remain. A mortal channeling a celestial becomes a mortal manifestation of the celestial’s power.The celestial can draw on all of the mortal’s memories, and the celestial senses what the mortal senses. The mortal and the celestial can communicate telepathically, but neither has complete access to the current thoughts of the other.Whilechannelingacelestial,themortal’sIntel- ligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores become 5 points lower than the celestial’s (or remain the same as the mortal’s scores if they are higher). An increase in Wisdom affects the mortal’s Will saves, and all three increases might affect bonus spells and saving throw DCs for spells and special abilities. The mortal can use its own skills and the celes- tial’s skills. If the mortal and the celestial have the same skill, use the skill of whichever has more ranks in the skill. Use the mortal’s effective ability scores to determine skill modifiers. 23 Illus.byD.Kovacs 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 3:22 PM Page 23
24 The channeling mortal can use all of the celestial’s supernat- ural and spell-like abilities, and can cast spells known to the celestial if his requisite ability scores are high enough. The mortal remains in complete control of his own body while channeling the celestial, so celestials never allow non- good mortals to channel them. The mortal or the celestial can end the channeling at any time, as a free action. When this occurs, the celestial appears in an unoccupied space adjacent to the mortal. EXALTED COHORTS An exalted character with the Leadership feat may, at the DM’s discretion, acquire a celestial, a metallic dragon, a good-aligned magical beast, or some other creature of good as a special cohort. As detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, use the monster’s level adjust- ment (when that is available) to determine its effective cohort level. For example, a player char- acter with a leadership score of 8 can have a 5th-level cohort. A pixie has 1 Hit Die and a level adjustment of +4, meaning a pixie is effectively a 5th-level character. Thus, a player character (PC) with a leadership score of 8 can have a pixie as a cohort, assuming that he is committed to the exalted path, that he is chaotic good (like the pixie), and that the DM agrees. Table 2–1: Example Special Cohorts lists a number of good- aligned creatures that might be available as cohorts to exalted characters, with their alignment and their level equivalent (Hit Dice + level adjustment). See the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more information. EXALTED GODS Next to Heironeous, Pelor, Ehlonna, and Kord, the deities pre- sented here are relatively insignificant—demigods with limited portfolios and small followings. Nevertheless, they exemplify some of the finest aspects of the good alignment, from joy and pleasure to martyrdom and the fiery radiance that sears evil. While few people claim these deities as their sole patron, many offer occasional prayers or small sacrifices to them. AYAILLA The goddess of light, Ayailla is called the Bright Eagle or the Brilliant Mistress. She is the steward of celestial radiance, and she watches over the good creatures of the sky. She is depicted either as a phoenix bathed in brilliant light or as a beautiful red- skinned woman with large, feathered wings. Ayailla claims many nonhumans among her worshipers, including giant eagles, giant owls, pegasi, lammasus, cloud and storm giants, and good dragons. Surprisingly, she is also revered by some dwarves, including paladins, who quest to bring light into the darkness of the deep regions, both literally and metaphorically. Her symbol is a phoenix, and the domains she is associated with are Glory, Good, and Sun. She is neu- tral good and her favored weapon is the spear. Clerics of Ayailla are bearers of her celestial light. Some take that mission literally, such as the dwarves mentioned above, or clerics who use celestial radiance to combat plagues of undead. Others interpret their mission more metaphori- cally, working to illuminate and educate people, teaching everything from basic liter- acy to abstract philosophy. Ayailla’s temples are most commonly found in the cloud-castles of good giants or in s u b t e r r a n e a n dwarven strong- holds, where they are beacons of light in the darkness. CHAAV Olidammara is often known as the Laughing Rogue, but Chaav is the Smiling God, whose laughter comes from pure and simple delight in the world and its inhabitants. The god of joy is normally pictured as a boy or very young man with a wide smile and easy manner. He is usually found in the company of his sister, Lastai. Chaav teaches a dogma of enjoyment, pleasure, and delight. He cares little for elaborate humor or wordplay, and has no tol- erance for those who laugh at others’ expense. He is often revered by sprites, good satyrs, and other good fey that share his delight in simple pleasures. Chaav’s symbol is a bunch of wild- flowers, and his favored weapon is the quarterstaff.The domains he is associated with are Chaos, Good, Joy, and Trickery. He is chaotic good. Chaav’s clerics work with simple farmers and artisans, and only rarely join adventuring bands.They labor to bring joy to all people they encounter, not just the laughter from a funny joke, but the joy, peace, and contentment with life that a pure heart can bring. Chaav has some small shrines in small hamlets and villages, but they are modest affairs even by the standards of such small communities. CHAPTER2: VARIANT RULES Illus.byJ.Jarvis An exalted wizard and his loyal dragon cohort 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 3:23 PM Page 24
ESTANNA Goddess of hearth and home, Estanna is called the Hearthten- der or the Virgin. She is depicted as a young woman dressed in commoner’s garb, often cooking. Estanna’s faith teaches the simple virtues of home and family life. She is revered in many good households, honored at the lighting of the hearthfire even by people who are otherwise entirely devoted to a single deity or none at all. Her symbol is a hearth and her favored weapon is the dagger. The domains Estanna is associated with are Community, Good, and Protec- tion. She is neutral good. Estanna has very few clerics, and needs no more than that. People worship her without any need for intermediaries, and she has no overarching agenda that requires a large force of mortal agents doing her work on the Material Plane. A very few clerics serve her exclusively, ministering to commoners in their homes and offering services from curing to midwifery, rather than any actual priestly function.There are no temples devoted to Estanna, since she is properly worshiped only in the home. LASTAI The sister of Chaav, Lastai is the goddess of pleasure, love, and passion. She is powerfully sensual but neither seductive nor licentious. She is depicted as a beautiful, voluptuous woman. Lastai teaches that sensual pleasures are meant to be enjoyed, and is not shy about teaching the proper way to enjoy them. As goddess of love as well as passion, she stresses the importance of equality in all kinds of relationships, from business dealings to sexual intimacy. She teaches the enjoyment of food without glut- tony, the enjoyment of rest without sloth, the enjoyment of luxury without greed, and the enjoyment of sex without exploita- tion. Her symbol is a peach, and her favored weapon is the grasp- ing pole (described in Chapter 3: Exalted Equipment). The domains Lastai is associated with are Chaos, Good, and Pleasure. She is chaotic good. Lastai’s clerics are often called upon to perform wedding cer- emonies and counsel lovers. They seek out pleasure for them- selves, but that pursuit is less important than helping others find pleasure and love in their own lives. Her faith is sometimes reviled by those who view it as prurient or immoral, but Lastai’s clerics argue strongly that sexuality is a good gift meant to be properly enjoyed, not repressed. Lastai has a few small temples, mostly found in large cities, that constantly battle against their undeserved reputation as being nothing more than glorified brothels. 25 CHAPTER2: VARIANT RULES Table 2–1: Example Special Cohorts Level Creature Alignment Equivalent Aasimar1 Any good 2nd Grig Chaotic good 4th Bariaur6 Chaotic good 5th Lantern archon Lawful good 5th Pixie2 Chaotic good 5th Blink dog Lawful good 6th Brass dragon (wyrmling)4 Chaotic good 6th Pegasus Chaotic good 6th Copper dragon (wyrmling)4 Chaotic good 7th Coure eladrin6 Chaotic good 7th Musteval guardinal6 Neutral good 7th Rhek6 Lawful good 8th Unicorn3 Chaotic good 8th Cervidal guardinal7 Neutral good 9th Brass dragon (very young)4 Chaotic good 10th Bronze dragon (wyrmling)4 Lawful good 10th Werebear Lawful good 10th Bralani eladrin Chaotic good 11th Copper dragon (very young)4 Chaotic good 11th Hound archon Lawful good 11th Silver dragon (wyrmling)4 Lawful good 11th Gold dragon (wyrmling)4 Lawful good 12th Leskylor6 Neutral good 12th Treant Neutral good 12th Bronze dragon (very young)4 Lawful good 13th Djinni Chaotic good 13th Equinal guardinal6 Neutral good 13th Lillend Chaotic good 13th Asura6 Chaotic good 14th Brass dragon (young)4 Chaotic good 14th Silver dragon (very young)4 Lawful good 14th Avoral guardinal Neutral good 15th Copper dragon (young)4 Chaotic good 15th Hollyphant6 Neutral good 15th Level Creature Alignment Equivalent Lupinal guardinal7 Neutral good 15th Warden archon6 Lawful good 15th Couatl Lawful good 16th Gold dragon (very young)4 Lawful good 16th Brass dragon (juvenile)4 Chaotic good 17th Moon dog6 Neutral good 17th Quesar6 Neutral good 17th Bronze dragon (young)4, 5 Lawful good 18th Copper dragon (juvenile)4, 5 Chaotic good 18th Firre eladrin5, 6 Chaotic good 18th Owl archon5, 6 Lawful good 18th Silver dragon (young)4, 5 Lawful good 18th Ursinal guardinal5, 6 Neutral good 18th Astral deva (angel)5 Any good 20th Ghaele eladrin5 Chaotic good 20th Gold dragon (young)4, 5 Lawful good 20th Leonal guardinal5 Neutral good 20th Sword archon5, 6 Lawful good 20th Trumpet archon5 Lawful good 20th Shiradi eladrin5, 6 Chaotic good 24th 1 Upon taking a level in a class, an aasimar loses the base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and skill points it had as a monster and gains the base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and skill points of the class. The aasimar retains its racial bonuses to skills, darkvision, spell-like abilities, and energy resistances. 2 A pixie cohort cannot use Otto’s irresistible dance. 3 Leader must be a human, elf, or half-elf female. 4 The dragon ages but does not gain XP. 5 This creature cohort is available only to epic-level characters and requires the Epic Leadership feat described in the Epic Level Handbook. 6 New creature described in Chapter 8 of this book. 7 From Monster Manual II. 620_88026_ExaltedDeeds2a.qxd 8/25/03 3:23 PM Page 25